Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Annual
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Plant Height:	12-36 inches
Plant Spread:	12 inches
Fruit:	Dehiscent
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Pink Purple Red White
Bloom Size:	1"-2"
Flower Time:	Late spring or early summer Summer Late summer or early fall
Uses:	Medicinal Herb
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Butterflies
Propagation: Seeds:	Sow in situ Other info: Also called "Touch Me Not" as the seeds jump out, easily reseeds in place.
Propagation: Other methods:	Cuttings: Stem
Pollinators:	Various insects

Victory Seed Company sells seeds of Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina).

Common names

Touch-Me-Not
Balsam
Rose Balsam
Spotted Snapweed
Brinco

Photo Gallery

Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2019-06-17

Uploaded by poisondartfrog

Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Birmingham, AL
Date: Summer 2017
These plants came from a seed

Uploaded by Chelseazinnia

Location: Mid-Missouri, USA
Date: 2020-08-17
Multiple plants, multiple bloom colors

Uploaded by Topdecker

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-07-10

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Huertayjardineria

Uploaded by Huertayjardineria

Uploaded by Huertayjardineria

Location: Fairfax, VA | September 2022
Date: 2022-09-10

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Cary, North Carolina private garden
Date: 2021-09-15
Balsam, my favorite self seeding annual in my gardens

Uploaded by FurryRoseBear

Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2017-08-06
Before blooming

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Gerris2

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by Huertayjardineria

Uploaded by Huertayjardineria

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by vic

Uploaded by joannakat

Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2017-06-21
Self sowed

Uploaded by Frenchy21

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by Gerris2

Location: In my zone 8 garden
Date: 2013-10-05

Uploaded by sarahbugw

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-05-26

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Date: August 25, 2007
Photo by J.M.Garg

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: All pictures taken in my gardens
Date: 2011-08-27

Uploaded by janinilulu

Location: Cincinnati, Oh
Date: July 2009
Balsam, a prolific reseeder for shade

Uploaded by kqcrna

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2015-07-04

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by sarahbugw

Uploaded by Dinu

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2014-06-26

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2016-10-26
Impatiens balsamina seeds and seed pods.

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Onewish1

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2013-08-05

Uploaded by gingin

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-07-29

Uploaded by chelle

Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Joy

Location: my garden zone 7b NC, USA
Date: 2013-08-21

Uploaded by sandnsea2

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by joannakat

Location: My Cincinnati Ohio garden
Date: May 17, 2012
Spring emergence of balsam volunteers, varying number of true lea

Uploaded by kqcrna

Uploaded by Dinu

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Uploaded by gingin

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-06-19

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by sandnsea2

Uploaded by sandnsea2

Location: My garden frt side WG
Date: 2018-05-05

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: my garden - from seeds
Date: 2014-09-05

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by mollymistsmith

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2017-12-11

Uploaded by carlysuko

Uploaded by carlysuko

Uploaded by carlysuko

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by sallyg (central Maryland - Zone 7b) on Dec 13, 2018 10:13 PM concerning plant:

This is an easy flowering annual with unusual pods. The ripened seed pods turn yellowish and then pop open at a gentle squeeze and fling their seeds. Great fun for kids.

Reply to this comment
Posted by tabbycat (Youngsville, LA - Zone 9b) on Jun 18, 2018 4:23 PM concerning plant:

My pretty rosy-pink volunteer plants that came up in April 2018 are 18 inches tall and in full bloom. They have spread through the flower bed all along a 6 foot wood fence that encloses my back yard. They are under tall ginger, the tall red and the white Star of Texas hibiscuses, climbing rose bushes, and even my cucumber vines I've trained up the fence. I love the accent they bring mixed in under tall plants.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On July 15, 2021	Bloomed Round bed
piksihk	On September 24, 2019	Bloomed
piksihk	On April 16, 2019	Bloomed Round bed seeds from $tree
piksihk	On May 11, 2018	Bloomed
piksihk	On March 3, 2018	Seeds germinated WG
piksihk	On February 21, 2018	Seeds sown round bed - purple and pink seeds; front left side - pink
piksihk	On February 9, 2018	Seeds sown WG pink and Unk color Double bloom Ferry M 2013 seeds
piksihk	On February 16, 2017	Seeds sown (Korea) frt bed
piksihk	On October 1, 2015	Bloomed

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Impatiens Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina)

Impatiens
Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina)