Impatiens capensis

Etymology

Impatiens is Latin for impatient, referring to the violent seed dispersal of this plant; capensis is Greek for the Cape of Good Hope.

Native Habitat

Moist, shady wetlands and along stream banks throughout eastern North America.

Garden Uses

Spotted jewelweed is attractive in wetland, rain, and moist woodland gardens and along stream and pond edges. This plant naturalizes easily by self seeding, but since it is an annual it is fairly easy to control its spread.

Overview

This plant is a tall self-seeding annual succulent that grows in dense stands in the moist, shady wetlands and along stream banks throughout eastern North America. The common name ‘jewelweed’ may refer either to the lovely, fragile flowers, or to the way sunlight sparkles on the drops of rain or dew that collect on the leaves.

Leaves and Stems

Leaves are green to bluish-green, alternate, oval, coarsely toothed and measure up to 3.5" in length. Stems are thin, upright, but translucent, watery, and fragile.

Flowers

Blossoms are hanging cornucopia-shaped pendants, approximately 1 inch long, and typically yellow-orange to red-orange, with spots of reddish-brown. Each flower dangles from a leaf axil on a thin stalk. The distinctive long spur is a modified sepal. These flowers require cross-pollination by insects or hummingbirds. Smaller (1 mm), inconspicuous, self-fertilizing flowers (cleistogamous) that form seeds without opening or pollination also appear at leaf bases. These result in less hardy off-spring, but take much less energy for the plant to produce.

Fruit/Seed

A 1" long slender green capsule bursts open explosively when seeds are ripened, scattering seeds in all directions.

Animal Associates

Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies all collect pollen from this plant.

Propagation

Direct sow fresh seeds in early autumn.

Ethnobotanical Uses

Traditionally, stem juice is used as a treatment for poison ivy, insect bites, and fungal and other skin rashes.

Anecdotal Information

A similar native Imoatiens pallida, has yellow flowers and is much less frequently encountered, while a pink and white Impatiens glandulifera is highly invasive in our area.