diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 86a814a137b..6baf9be2bd9 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ Jeff Widman
 Jenni Rinker
 John Eddie Ayson
 John Towler
+Jon Parise
 Jon Sonesen
 Jonas Obrist
 Jordan Guymon
diff --git a/changelog/9897.feature.rst b/changelog/9897.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7464067bfcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/9897.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 d082697258c..c1fb47e33b9 100644
--- a/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
+++ b/doc/en/reference/reference.rst
@@ -1699,6 +1699,8 @@ 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.
+   File system paths 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..dfbda68ea78 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 +900,19 @@ class InvocationParams:
         dir: Path
         """The directory from which :func:`pytest.main` was invoked."""
 
+    class ArgsSource(enum.Enum):
+        """Indicates the source of the test arguments.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 7.2
+        """
+
+        #: Command line arguments.
+        ARGS = enum.auto()
+        #: Invocation directory.
+        INCOVATION_DIR = enum.auto()
+        #: 'testpaths' configuration value.
+        TESTPATHS = enum.auto()
+
     def __init__(
         self,
         pluginmanager: PytestPluginManager,
@@ -1308,15 +1322,25 @@ 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")
+                    source = Config.ArgsSource.TESTPATHS
+                    testpaths: List[str] = self.getini("testpaths")
+                    if self.known_args_namespace.pyargs:
+                        args = testpaths
+                    else:
+                        args = []
+                        for path in testpaths:
+                            args.extend(sorted(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 bb07b3ce7c6..8e47f26045a 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -730,8 +730,8 @@ 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..58e1d862a35 100644
--- a/testing/test_collection.py
+++ b/testing/test_collection.py
@@ -244,28 +244,32 @@ def test_testpaths_ini(self, pytester: Pytester, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch) -> No
         pytester.makeini(
             """
             [pytest]
-            testpaths = gui uts
+            testpaths = */tests
         """
         )
         tmp_path = pytester.path
-        ensure_file(tmp_path / "env" / "test_1.py").write_text("def test_env(): pass")
-        ensure_file(tmp_path / "gui" / "test_2.py").write_text("def test_gui(): pass")
-        ensure_file(tmp_path / "uts" / "test_3.py").write_text("def test_uts(): pass")
+        ensure_file(tmp_path / "a" / "test_1.py").write_text("def test_a(): pass")
+        ensure_file(tmp_path / "b" / "tests" / "test_2.py").write_text(
+            "def test_b(): pass"
+        )
+        ensure_file(tmp_path / "c" / "tests" / "test_3.py").write_text(
+            "def test_c(): pass"
+        )
 
         # executing from rootdir only tests from `testpaths` directories
         # are collected
         items, reprec = pytester.inline_genitems("-v")
-        assert [x.name for x in items] == ["test_gui", "test_uts"]
+        assert [x.name for x in items] == ["test_b", "test_c"]
 
         # check that explicitly passing directories in the command-line
         # collects the tests
-        for dirname in ("env", "gui", "uts"):
+        for dirname in ("a", "b", "c"):
             items, reprec = pytester.inline_genitems(tmp_path.joinpath(dirname))
             assert [x.name for x in items] == ["test_%s" % dirname]
 
         # changing cwd to each subdirectory and running pytest without
         # arguments collects the tests in that directory normally
-        for dirname in ("env", "gui", "uts"):
+        for dirname in ("a", "b", "c"):
             monkeypatch.chdir(pytester.path.joinpath(dirname))
             items, reprec = pytester.inline_genitems()
             assert [x.name for x in items] == ["test_%s" % dirname]