On my first nature walk, I spotted many beautiful flowers and plants. There were a few bugs like bees that had a interesting nature about them as they buzzed from flower to flower. I couldn't help but take pictures of these spectacles. But one of the plants that sparked my interest was the Jewelweed. It has many names, but a common name for this plant is the Spotted Touch-Me-Not. I knew nothing of this flower and didn't examine it more as my quest at the time was for the Staghorn Sumac.The Jewelweed (Impatiens aurea) gets the nick-name touch-me-not because once anything disturbs the flower, it shoots out its seeds. The seed pod shoots out seeds whenever it's ripe. I wanted to try this out for myself, but I couldn't find the flower again on my second nature walk. This feisty plant got away from me this time, but hopefully I'll be able to find it again.
This herb grows usually during the summer and grows from 3 to 5 feet. It normally lives in wet soil beside streams and bodies of water. It's flower grows in different colors of purple, pink, white, yellow and scarlet. It's leaves are thin, oval shaped and have a green color.
The leaves contain tannin which can be used as a remedy once its leaves are boiled in lard and ointment. The juice of the herb can be used to relieve irritation especially from poisonous plants which it ironically grows next to at times.
This plant is just all to amazing. If you're interested in seeing this plant for yourself, it's best to catch it in September before it gets too cold in wetland areas. I know I want to catch a glimpse of it again.
Thanks for writing about this flower. I see it often in my hikes in the Adirondacks, usually near wet areas. Despite its name, I have touched it; however, I have never seen its seeds pop out. Maybe somebody else got there first.
ReplyDeleteYea that's true. Anything could have disturbed it first.
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