Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is one of my favorite wild plants this time of year as it has three big things going for it. First, even before it starts flowering, it is wonderful as an antipruritic for poison ivy as well as insect bites. We found an immediate use for it years ago when we were picking berries with Charlotte and she got on the wrong side of a yellow jacket. Smashing up the leaves, rolling them into a ball and then wiping it on the wound gave Charlotte lots of comfort (as well as the excess berries we fed her).
Next, the flower is gorgeous. Often orange, though I have spotted lemon yellow ones, its flower shape is similar to that of orchids and irises with delicate details. They are easy to miss, but their colorful form always pops from their green herbaceous stems.
But the best for me is the tendency of its seed pods to explode when touched propelling its seeds far and wide. This escape behavior is no doubt why the plant is also called Touch Me Not. Honestly, this is a better name for poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) or giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) both of which can cause blisters and sores. A stand of jewelweed seeds beckons me to touch it and like a naughty child squeeze and explode nature’s spit ball all around.
