# common jewelweed (*Impatiens capensis*) Common jewelweed is a bright orange flower that grows near water. Its leaves are soft and can help soothe skin irritations. It's a fun plant to find in the wild! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 45 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Spotted Touch-Me-Not ![common jewelweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Potapsco_fg13.jpg&width=800) Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potapsco_fg13.jpg) ## Appearance The common jewelweed has unique trumpet-shaped, orange flowers often spotted with reddish-brown, resembling dangling lanterns. Its delicate green leaves beautifully repel water, making droplets shimmer like liquid silver on their surface. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Balsaminaceae - **Genus:** Impatiens ## Interesting facts - Its hollow stems are so translucent you can almost see through them! - Native Americans traditionally used its juice for soothing insect bites. - Raindrops bead up like tiny, shiny jewels on its waterproof leaves. - Tiny hummingbirds love to sip the sweet nectar from its orange flowers! ## Special abilities - **Exploding Seed Pods:** Common jewelweed can forcefully eject its seeds when touched, ensuring they spread far from the parent plant. - **Water-Repellent Cloak:** Common jewelweed has leaves that instantly shed water, making raindrops look like mercury jewels. - **Nature's Soother:** Common jewelweed produces a sap that can help soothe skin irritations from plants like poison ivy. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 90-150 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** [ruby-throated hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — drinks sweet nectar from blooms - **Eats:** jewelweed aphid (*Uroleucon nigrotuberculatum*) — feeds on plant's sap ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common jewelweed? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common jewelweed? 90-150 cm ### How wide does common jewelweed spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on common jewelweed? 2-3 cm ### When does common jewelweed bloom? Summer to fall ### Is common jewelweed edible? No ### Is common jewelweed toxic? Mild ### What is common jewelweed's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arrowmont-school-of-arts-and-crafts) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Berry Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berry-botanic-garden) — Oregon, US · Botanical Garden - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Bloomingdale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloomingdale) — District of Columbia, US · Neighborhood - [Brookfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see common jewelweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-jewelweed) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Jewelweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-jewelweed)