Touch-me-nots? Jewelweed? Native Impatiens?

Does anyone have any experience with growing Touch-me-nots or Jewelweed?

I understand these native versions of wild impatiens are great attractors of hummingbirds late in the season, but I can't find a seed source for them. I am particularly interested in the variety that grows (native?) in the East. I thought they were reddish, but most pics I have found the flowers are pale.

Are they ordinarily grown from division? Does anybody know anything about them?

Thank you very much.

I've experienced limited success transplanting (friend allowed me to collect from a patch of his woods) when quite small. They are not uncommon around here. Kids sure get a kick out of them when the seed pods mature. They are an excellent remedy for poison ivy itch.

Is this the one? http://www.missouriplants.com/Redalt/Impatiens_capensis_page.html
Caren
I found this iste that sells the seed but I did not see them in GW.
http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/imp.cap.htm

This message was edited Feb 15, 2006 7:43 PM

Thankyou.

Yes, that's the one--the seeds pop when the kids touch it and it's good for poinson ivy. Sounds like it is easy to grow from seed.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens have a beautiful write up on it for such a modest fower!

I want it because I read the Hummingbirds will stay around late in the season here in Ohio for the touch me not blooms. We'll see, I guess.

Would order from Easy Wildflowers but they have a $10 minimum so it's a little spendy to get them...perhaps I'll wait until I need other wildflower seeds...

Thanks a lot. t.

Hi Tabasco,
I think I have some seed saved from a year or two ago if you'd like them. My neighbor was a plant moocher, if she saw something she wanted she'd ask if she could have some and dig it up, take it home and plop it in. I got my seeds from her plants and these are seeds harvested from my plantings. I have purple and white. Let me know and I'll mail them to you, they might not all be viable but I'm pretty sure a few will probably germinate. I don't plan to plant them again and would rather they go to someone who wants them.
Donna

Oops, these are not the orange native Touch Me Nots, but if you'd still like them let me know. Donna

Tabasco,

Are these seeds at Penya's what you're looking for? (I think you're looking for Impatiens capensis, right?) http://www.penyaseeds.com/flower-seeds/wildflowers/spotted-touch-me-not.htm

Here's some other sources. I'm not sure about their Garden Watchdog rating or their price/shipping, but hopefully you can find something that works for you.

http://www.sandmountainherbs.com/jewelweed_orange_touchmenot.html
http://www.boldweb.com/greenweb/native.htm
http://www.seedman.com/native.htm

Thankyou, Donna, for your offer of seed. Look for an e-mail!

terracotta-- thanks for the links... I will check into their availability. Very interesting sites and I will add them to my favorites and check them on Watchdog.

They are pretty easy to get if you know a stream where you can collect and know what they look like, a good bit like the hybrid impatiens, take water with you or a container, they will wilt and be damged enough to die in less than 30 min. If I get a solid root ball i leave it alone but if it breaks i put it into wayer immedietly, collect 3 times as many as you think you want, some won't make it, some will be weak and not do much, but the others should give you a life time supply if you have a wet spot. I have trouble keeping them as my soil is so acid they don't come back well, working on that one so we'll see this spring if I got it right or i'f i'm trucking to the local fishing hole again. The natives vary in color from orange and spotted to pale cream and clear(rare), med to faded orange is most typical, prefers dappled shade but will take full sun with lots of water, crowns should be humped up a bit as they don't like wet feet but do like water accessable to the roots. Seem to do best with the bog plants on humps of coarse sand mixed with mulch Good luck

Be careful where you plant these...they will absolutely take over an area and block out everything else. They are easy to pull up however.

http://www.horizonherbs.com/group.asp?grp=46

I don't have seed saved, but I can sure send you as many seedling as you'd like. Most of these are reddish orange, but there are yellow that occur in the mix as well. The hummingbirds do indeed enjoy them, but they do drop lots of seed. In a moist area they can really take over.

I was enamored with those a few years ago when I saw them edging the woods by a soccer field. I tried the seeds but they didn't germinate. I now have them growing wild at my new place. LOL I guess I had to earn them. ;)

I don't believe Touch-Me-Nots are considered annuals, at least not in Zone 6.

Yes they are....they just reseed alot.

We'll I guess I'm not too old to learn. LOL

I have these in my garden, they are charming. I think once you have them you get lots of seedlings.

The seedpods are such fun to pop!

I started these in peat pots this spring and they are growing like CRAZY! I don't think anything has done as well as these.

Yes, they will grow like crazy.

Is the wild variety you folks mention the same as the seed that I purchased from Burpee a few years back? It reseeds very nicely in my yard now.

http://www.burpee.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=832&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=9&iSubCat=2041&iProductID=832&iSubSubCat=2041

no

Jewelweed grows wild at our cottage in Eastern Ontario, along the edges of the lake and in behind in our wetland areas. It's a very fleshy and fast growing plant and produces oodles of seed, which I never thought of collecting because it comes back so easily every year. It's a little later than most plants, starting to bloom in mid- to late July.

It even grows in crevices among the rocks at the edge of the shore, shown in this old photo of my vegetable garden. Here, whatever soil there is is sandy and their roots are lapped by the waves, exposed. Tough little guys! I can't see in the photo if there are any visible, but I expect not, because the peas in the garden are still there and the pole beans at the back aren't up yet, so this is probably June.

How beautiful! Looks so tranquil.

I've heard that wild jewelweed is a good herbal remedy for poison ivy, by rubbing the juice from the stems. A friend of mine uses it and finds it effective, but I've never tried.

I've had stands of reseeded Touch me nots like Burpee and lots of seed sources sell. The seed leaves look the same and fleshy like the rest of the genus. JefeQuickteck, did your doubles return as doubles? I've been curious if the doubles reseeded.
Neal

Doubles came back as doubles. They did not revert to something else. I still have the same variety. Now I collect the seed in the fall. Why? Mainly because the little pods have the same appeal as bubblewrap – you just have to pop them.

I think there are two types being discussed here. The pretty orange one is the true jewelweed/touch me not/native impatiens and then there is the Balsam which is nicknamed Touch Me Not because of the exploding seed pods. My neighbor gave me some of the purple and white Balsam seed, which she just called Touch Me Nots. I didn't know the proper name for them because I was used to seeing the mix with the pink flowers. I sent some to Tabasco anyway but I think the orange jewelweed is gorgeous!

I agree about the bubblewrap analogy! Can't pop just one! :)

Impatiens capensis (jewel weed) Impatiens balsamina Jewel weed also has "exploding" seed pods.

You are correct. The ones to which I am referring are Impatiens Balsamina.

See details here: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/156/index.html

It was cleared up above for me that these were not the same. Sorry if I took us off track, however, the impatiens balsamina are easy to grow. Seed is available, and worth purchasing.

If you are gathering seedlings, i saw some the other day about 2 inches tall here in North Al.

Never dreamed my thread topic about (the humble) 'jewel weed/touch me nots' would garner so much discussion! ....Learn something new all the time on DG.... LOL

I planted my purple balsam/jewelweed seed from dmac (thank you very much!) and gave it plenty of space to expand, if needed.

But it sounds like, indeed, it is not the jewel weed (orange) that keeps the hummingbirds in parts of Ohio through October--which is what I am wanting to try out sooner or later....will continue to keep an eye out for that one--and maybe pinch/touch a seed pod this fall now that I know so much more about what I am looking for.

I am curious if the hummingbirds do love it as much as I had read.

Will be looking for reports on hummingbird activity on this thread during bloom season, everybody!

Happy gardening! t.

Do you have Lobelia cardinalis..that blooms late and the hummers like that.

The hummingbirds do indeed love the orange jewelweed. They're an almost constant sight every summer along the creekbank. I saw my first hummer a couple of days ago visiting a red tulip! Hope he lets all his friends know the "buffet" is open!

Our discussion is giving me new respect for this pretty plant. I'll make a point of collecting seed this year.

Does anyone have these seeds for SASBE or trade? I have lots of stuff to trade, my list is SO out of date.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2166533

Thanks!
Janis

They are just coming into bloom here, so seed aren't far behind

I saw the first blooms today as well, here in Ottawa, Canada.

Now to figure out how to collect the seed... and when...

How is the hard part as they aren't called touch me not for nothing, once the seed pod explode when you touch them lightly, notice the size of the pod, then cover a stem with a bag, or if you are careful remove the stem several inches down from the pod and drop into a bag, sow immedietly . This has worked for me but I had poor germination, anybody else have any ideads?

The first year I had this plant in a container, I found seedlings everywhere..... That was a few years ago. I would pay postage for seeds if someone has some to share. In my area, even though they are "semi" invasive, I still love them.

Sanna

Thanks for the tip, bermuda, that's what I had planned. My problem is, I want to send some seed to a friend overseas, so sowing immediately is not an option.

These grow from seed each year, being annuals, so there must be a drying-off and wintersowing process that would work... just wondering.

Invasive? As with any annual, controlling seed spread is the key. And the seedlings are easy to rip out in spring. We have them in one area where we do this routinely each year but let some grow up. Just part of enjoying this special plant. Not as bad as crabgrass!

Try drying them and see or put a small amount of dirt in the bag, slightly dampem and mail, shouldn't sprout till next spring, but I don't know if you can ship even soiless mixture overseas