diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 1a8c5306f75..643799edcef 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ Jeff Widman
 Jenni Rinker
 John Eddie Ayson
 John Towler
+Jon Parise
 Jon Sonesen
 Jonas Obrist
 Jordan Guymon
diff --git a/changelog/X.feature.rst b/changelog/X.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7464067bfcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/X.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added shell-style wildcard support to ``testpaths``.
diff --git a/doc/en/reference/reference.rst b/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
index 167c8fed9a3..66dba36d89b 100644
--- a/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
@@ -1761,6 +1761,7 @@ passed multiple times. The expected format is ``name=value``. For example::
    Sets list of directories that should be searched for tests when
    no specific directories, files or test ids are given in the command line when
    executing pytest from the :ref:`rootdir <rootdir>` directory.
+   May use shell-style wildcards, including the recursive ``**`` pattern.
    Useful when all project tests are in a known location to speed up
    test collection and to avoid picking up undesired tests by accident.
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
index 05abaa8eda6..e234176aa65 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/config/__init__.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import collections.abc
 import copy
 import enum
+import glob
 import inspect
 import os
 import re
@@ -899,6 +900,20 @@ class InvocationParams:
         dir: Path
         """The directory from which :func:`pytest.main` was invoked."""
 
+    @final
+    class ArgsSource(enum.IntEnum):
+        """Indicates the source of the test arguments.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 7.2
+        """
+
+        #: Command line arguments.
+        ARGS = 0
+        #: Invocation directory.
+        INCOVATION_DIR = 1
+        #: 'testpaths' configuration value.
+        TESTPATHS = 2
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         pluginmanager: PytestPluginManager,
@@ -1308,15 +1323,22 @@ def parse(self, args: List[str], addopts: bool = True) -> None:
         self.hook.pytest_cmdline_preparse(config=self, args=args)
         self._parser.after_preparse = True  # type: ignore
         try:
+            source = Config.ArgsSource.ARGS
             args = self._parser.parse_setoption(
                 args, self.option, namespace=self.option
             )
             if not args:
                 if self.invocation_params.dir == self.rootpath:
-                    args = self.getini("testpaths")
+                    args = []
+                    source = Config.ArgsSource.TESTPATHS
+                    testpaths = cast(List[str], self.getini("testpaths"))
+                    for path in testpaths:
+                        args.extend(glob.iglob(path, recursive=True))
                 if not args:
+                    source = Config.ArgsSource.INCOVATION_DIR
                     args = [str(self.invocation_params.dir)]
             self.args = args
+            self.args_source = source
         except PrintHelp:
             pass
 
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index b4848c48aba..6811fe073fb 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -728,8 +728,8 @@ def pytest_report_header(self, config: Config) -> List[str]:
         if config.inipath:
             line += ", configfile: " + bestrelpath(config.rootpath, config.inipath)
 
-        testpaths: List[str] = config.getini("testpaths")
-        if config.invocation_params.dir == config.rootpath and config.args == testpaths:
+        if config.args_source == Config.ArgsSource.TESTPATHS:
+            testpaths: List[str] = config.getini("testpaths")
             line += ", testpaths: {}".format(", ".join(testpaths))
 
         result = [line]
diff --git a/testing/test_collection.py b/testing/test_collection.py
index 9099ec57fca..fd493119572 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -1207,26 +1207,25 @@ def test_1():
 def test_collect_pyargs_with_testpaths(
     pytester: Pytester, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch
 ) -> None:
-    testmod = pytester.mkdir("testmod")
-    # NOTE: __init__.py is not collected since it does not match python_files.
-    testmod.joinpath("__init__.py").write_text("def test_func(): pass")
-    testmod.joinpath("test_file.py").write_text("def test_func(): pass")
+    for i in range(3):
+        testpkg = pytester.mkpydir(f"tests{i}")
+        testmod = pytester.mkdir(str(testpkg.joinpath("testmod")))
+        # NOTE: __init__.py is not collected since it does not match python_files.
+        testmod.joinpath("__init__.py").write_text("def test_func(): pass")
+        testmod.joinpath("test_file.py").write_text("def test_func(): pass")
 
-    root = pytester.mkdir("root")
-    root.joinpath("pytest.ini").write_text(
-        textwrap.dedent(
-            """
+    pytester.makeini(
+        """
         [pytest]
         addopts = --pyargs
-        testpaths = testmod
+        testpaths = tests*/testmod
     """
-        )
     )
     monkeypatch.setenv("PYTHONPATH", str(pytester.path), prepend=os.pathsep)
     with monkeypatch.context() as mp:
-        mp.chdir(root)
+        mp.chdir(pytester.path)
         result = pytester.runpytest_subprocess()
-    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*1 passed in*"])
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(["*3 passed in*"])
 
 
 def test_collect_symlink_file_arg(pytester: Pytester) -> None: