Jewelweed
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Article
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| Impatiens spp. | ||||||||||||||
 Jewelweed
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Jewelweed is a North American common name for a number of species of flowering plant in the genus Impatiens, family Balsaminaceae, native to eastern North America. The plant typically grows about 1 to 1.5 m tall, and dies after one season. Like other Impatiens, Jewelweed is notable for having seed pods that burst when touched, spreading seeds over several square meters. Because of this, it also has the common name (shared with many other Impatiens species) of Touch-me-not. Jewelweed is often used as a home remedy to treat poison ivy rashes.
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[edit] Species
Species called jewelweed include:
- Impatiens capensis Meerb. — Spotted Jewelweed or Orange Jewelweed; orange flowers
- Impatiens pallida Nutt. — Pale Jewelweed or Yellow Jewelweed; yellow (rarely cream-colored) flowers.
These species grow in moist, rich soils in valleys and stream-bottoms. The Pale Jewelweed tends to grow slightly taller and to tolerate somewhat shadier sites than the orange Jewelweed, while the latter is more common and better able to grow in disturbed areas.
An oft-repeated folk saying, "Wherever poison ivy is found, jewelweed grows close by," is not true. Poison ivy grows in a wide variety of habitats, while jewelweed is restricted to moist bottomlands and valleys with rich soil. The reverse is often true: wherever jewelweed is found, poison ivy is usually close by. Jewelweed grows in sunny, wet areas, such as roadside ditches and fens. The 1 cm (½ inch) long flowers are shaped like a shoe. Some plants have orange flowers with dark spots, while others have plain yellow flowers. When held under water, the leaves appear silvery in color (most noticeably on the underside of the leaf) due to tiny air bubbles trapped across the leaf surface, possibly accounting for the plant's common name.
The Orange Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, was transported in the 19th and 20th by humans to England, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and potentially other areas of Northern and Central Europe. These naturalized populations persist in the absence of any common cultivation by people. The orange jewelweed is quite similar to Impatiens noli-tangere, an Impatiens species native to Europe and Asia. No evidence exists of natural hybrids, although the habitats occupied by the two species are very similar. There are currently no records of pale jewelweed being cultivated outside North America, nor are there documented naturalizations.
[edit] Habitats
- Woodland Garden
- Sunny Edge
- Dappled Shade
- Bog Garden
[edit] Gallery
Jewelweed parts: (left to right) leaf, flower, seed pods, and stem |
Jewelweed Flower |
Jewelweed Flower |
[edit] Uses
[edit] Edible uses
The succulent stems, whilst still young and tender, can be cut up and cooked like green beans. Young leaves and shoots - cooked. They contain calcium oxalate crystals. Calcium oxalate is usually destroyed by thorough cooking. Large quantities of the leaves are purgative. Regular ingestion of large quantities of these plants can be dangerous due to their high mineral content. This report, which seems nonsensical, might refer to calcium oxalate. This mineral is found in I. capensis and so is probably also in other members of the genus. It can be harmful raw but is destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.
[edit] Medicinal uses
Jewelweed was commonly used as a medicinal herb by a number of native North American Indian tribes, and has been widely used in domestic medicine. Its main value lies in its external application for wounds and a range of skin complaints. However, it is little used in modern herbalism and is considered to be dangerous and 'wholly questionable' when used internally. The herb is antidote, cathartic, diuretic and emetic. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers, difficult urination, measles, stomach cramps, jaundice etc. The juice of the leaves is used externally in the treatment of piles, fungal dermatitis, nettle stings, poison ivy rash, burns etc. The sap is used to remove warts. A poultice of the leaves is applied to bruises, burns, cuts etc.
[edit] Other uses
The fresh juice obtained from the plant is a fungicide. This juice can be concentrated by boiling it. A yellow dye has been made from the flowers. It can be made from the whole plant.
[edit] Cultivation
Succeeds in any reasonably good soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist well-drained humus rich soil in a cool shady site. Plants self-sow in areas where minimum winter temperatures go no lower than -15°c. This plant has seed capsules that spring open forcibly as the seed ripens to eject the seed a considerable distance. The capsules are sensitive to touch even before the seed is ripe, making seed collection difficult but fun.
[edit] Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
