jewelweed

Impatiens capensis (authority: Meerb.) — common names include jewelweed, orange jewelweed, spotted jewelweed, spotted touch-me-not, and orange balsam.

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms → Eudicots

Order: Ericales

Family: Balsaminaceae (the touch-me-not family)

Genus: Impatiens

Species: I. capensis

Taxonomic notes: I. capensis is one of several Impatiens species native to North America. It is frequently mentioned alongside the closely related yellow jewelweed, I. pallida; the two species are similar and can be confused in the field because they often grow in the same wet habitats.

A charming, succulent-stemmed annual with showy, irregular flowers and explosive seed pods. Key features:

Habit and size: Typically an annual herb that commonly reaches about 1–4 feet (roughly 0.3–1.2 m) tall in moist sites; stems are succulent and weak, often arching or sprawling.

Leaves: Simple, alternate leaves with toothed (serrated) margins and pinnate venation; leaves are broadly ovate to lance-ovate and have a noticeable midrib.

Flowers: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) tubular flowers, usually orange to orange-red with darker spots or flecks in the throat—spots act as visual guides to nectar. Flowers have a pronounced nectar spur at the rear; flowering typically occurs from mid-summer into early fall.

Fruit and seeds: The common name “touch-me-not” comes from the explosive (ballistic) dehiscence of the seed capsule—mature pods split suddenly when touched, flinging seeds several inches away.

Other: Stems often show swollen nodes; plant tissues are succulent and relatively brittle.

Native status: Native to North America.

Typical habitats: Often found in moist, shaded to partly shaded sites — bottomlands, wet woodlands, streambanks, ditches, marsh margins, and other damp, disturbed ground. It favors soils that stay moist during the growing season.

Geographic distribution: Widely found across much of North America (as a native species). Specific local distribution can vary; consult regional floras or local herbaria for precise county- or state-level occurrence.

I. capensis is an active and visible part of wetland-edge and riparian plant communities. Important ecological notes:

Pollination: The tubular, nectar-bearing flowers are attractive to nectar feeders with long bills or tongues; hummingbirds frequently visit the flowers in areas where both occur, and various bees (including bumblebees and other long-tongued bees) also forage on the nectar. The spotted throat and tubular shape help guide pollinators to nectar.

Seed dispersal: Seeds are dispersed primarily by explosive dehiscence (pods that eject seeds). In wet habitats, seeds can also be moved by water after they fall.

Community role: As a summer annual that produces abundant flowers and seeds, jewelweed provides seasonal nectar and habitat resources for insects and hummingbirds and can be an early colonizer of moist, disturbed soils. It contributes to understory diversity in moist woodlands and riparian edges.

“Touch-me-not” is a literal nickname: the seed pods burst on contact, flinging seeds — an excellent demonstration of ballistic seed dispersal. - The spotted throat of the flower acts as a nectar guide, visually directing pollinators toward the nectar-rich spur. - Despite the common name “jewelweed,” the origin of that name is simply long-standing; common names often reflect local tradition more than strict botanical meaning. - Jewelweed often appears in damp, shaded corridors of streams and wetlands, so spotting a patch of bright orange-spotted flowers is a reliable sign you’re near water or consistently moist ground. - It commonly co-occurs with the yellow-flowered Impatiens pallida; the two are easy to compare side by side and are a neat example of congeners occupying similar niches with different floral color signals.