General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Plant Height: 5 feet
Fruit: Edible to birds
Dehiscent
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Fall
Underground structures: Taproot
Suitable Locations: Bog gardening
Uses: Water gardens
Medicinal Herb
Will Naturalize
Edible Parts: Stem
Leaves
Eating Methods: Cooked
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Birds
Hummingbirds
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Other: Contains calcium oxalate crystals, which are destroyed by thorough cooking or drying. Can have a laxative effect.
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Stratify seeds: Needs a cold moist period, then a warm moist period, then cold moist, and finally warm temperatures for germination. Each period should be 2-3 months.
Suitable for wintersowing
Can handle transplanting
Other info: Will transplant when small. Often takes 2 years to germinate if sown outdoors.
Pollinators: Self
Birds
Bees
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Image
Common names
  • Orange Jewelweed
  • Spotted Touch-Me-Not
  • Touch-Me-Not
  • Impatiens
  • Spotted Jewel Weed
  • Jewelweed
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Impatiens capensis
  • Synonym: Impatiens biflora

Photo Gallery
Location: Woodbridge , Va
Date: 2016-05-29
Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: September 7, 2022
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: September 7, 2022
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Shiprock Nature Preserve, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Date: 2022-08-14
Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: September 7, 2022
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: September 7, 2022
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Charlotte, NC
Date: 2013-09-04
Location: Eagle Bay, New York
Date: 2022-09-07
Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) aka Spotted Touch-Me-Not
Location: Indiana  Zone 5
Date: Aug 3, 2010 3:01 PM
single bloom close-up
Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park
Date: September 7, 2022
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Cary, North Carolina private garden
Date: 2023-05-07
My Jewel Weed last season, they range from pale to dark orange.
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-07-30

Date: August 2018
Location: Skaneateles Conservation Area
photo credit: R. A. Nonenmacher
Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: September 16, 2021
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118
Location: Fairfax, VA | September 2022
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2018-08-08
Stream bank
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2018-09-11
Stream bank
Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: September 16, 2021
Jewel weed #12; RAB p.692, 110-1-2; AG p. 105, 23-5-;LHB 643, 118

Date: August 2018
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2014-09-15
the ''jewels'' on the weed

Date: August 2018

Date: August 2018
Location: Indiana  Zone 5
Date: Aug 24, 2010 2:08 PM
Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2015-07-25
Location: Wilmington, Delaware USA
Date: 2016-09-23
Location: Hiking Trail In Fairfax :-)
Location: High Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Mid Summer
A Native Canadian that is being pushed out by the invasive Himala

Date: April 2019
Seedlings growing under water from spring snow melt
Location: New York City Area
Date: 2019-07-26
Location: Fairfax, VA | June, 2022
Location: Fairfax, VA | June, 2022
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2013-05-13
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-09-11
Photo by SongofJoy
Location: Mississippi
Date: 2013-09-29
Location: Perelman Park, Manheim Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-07-26
Location: Mississippi
Date: 2014-03-11
Location: Wilmington, Delaware USA
Date: 2016-09-23
Location: My 6b woods
Date: 2014-09-19
Pretty.

photo credit: Fritz Geller-Grimm

Date: July 2018
Location: My garden in Bark River, MI
Date: 2015-05-19
Very young seedlings near the edge of the cedar swamp.
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 9/20/2011
at the woods' edge
Location: Indiana zone 5
Date: 2013-10-10
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2014-07-29
My house
Location: Tennessee
Date: 2013-10-15
Location: Tarlton
Date: 2018-05-27
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-09-20
Location: Wilmington, Delaware USA
Date: 2016-09-23
Location: My 6b woods
Date: 2014-09-13
Bet the hummingbirds love this one.
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-09-19
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-09-11
wildflower
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-09-28
Location: New York City Area
Date: 2019-07-26
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 6/20/2011
Orange jewelweed

Photo courtesy of: Tom Potterfield
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-09-11
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2012-03-27
Location: Middle Tennessee
Date: 2014-05-02
This is how well they reseed here in my zone

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Nov 15, 2012 6:58 AM concerning plant:
    Frequently you will find poison ivy growing near this plant, as well as other plants that may have thorns.
  • Posted by gardengus (Indiana Zone 5b) on Sep 15, 2014 3:25 PM concerning plant:
    This plant seems to be very attractive to hummingbirds.
    It prefers very moist soil and shade.
    I have grown this in a large pot sitting in a shallow tray of water. It does very well, and even self sows in the pot.
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Oct 29, 2011 8:28 PM concerning plant:
    Cornucopia-shaped flowers with spurs (where the nectar is). The fruit is a slender capsule appx. 1" long, which splits and propels the seed when touched. Juice is said to relieve the burning sensation of stinging nettle and to neutralize the sap of poison ivy.
    Found in moist to wet woodlands and near banks of streams.
  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on May 24, 2013 11:54 PM concerning plant:
    "Impatiens capensis, the Orange Jewelweed, Common Jewelweed, Spotted Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-me-not, or Orange Balsam, is an annual plant native to North America. It is common in bottomland soils, ditches, and along creeks, often growing side-by-side with its less common relative, Yellow Jewelweed (I. pallida).

    The flowers are orange with a three-lobed corolla; one of the calyx lobes is colored similarly to the corolla and forms a hooked conical spur at the back of the flower. Plants may also produce non-showy cleistogamous flowers, which do not require cross-pollination. The stems are somewhat translucent, succulent, and have swollen or darkened nodes. The seed pods are pendant and have projectile seeds that explode out of the pods when they are lightly touched, if ripe, which is where the name 'touch-me-not' comes from. The leaves appear to be silver or 'jeweled' when held underwater, which is possibly where the jewelweed name comes from. Along with other species of jewelweed it is a traditional remedy for skin rashes, although controlled studies have not shown efficacy for this purpose.

    Nectar spurs are tubular elongations of petals and sepals of certain flowers that usually contain nectar. Flowers of Impatiens capensis have these nectar spurs. Nectar spurs are thought to have played a role in plant-pollinator coevolution. Curvature angles of nectar spurs of Impatiens capensis are variable. This angle varies from 0 degrees to 270 degrees.

    The angle of the nectar spur is very important in the pollination of the flower and in determining the most efficient pollinator. Hummingbirds are the main pollinators. They remove more pollen per visit from flowers with curved nectar spurs than with perpendicular nectar spurs. But hummingbirds are not the only pollinators of Impatiens capensis. Bees play an important role in pollination as well. Due to hummingbirds and bees, the pollination of Impatiens capensis is very high."

    Taken from wikipedia's page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I...
Plant Events from our members
chelle On September 4, 2014 Miscellaneous Event
Gathered first batch of seeds.

Observations of selected plants during this event include the presence of a monarch caterpillar, several green stink bugs and plentiful ladybug nymphs.
antsinmypants On February 28, 2023 Seeds sown
WS all 10 seeds.
WebTucker On September 16, 2021 Bloomed
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Two Impatiens species by Danita Mar 19, 2017 6:32 PM 0

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