# Pale Jewelweed (*impatiens pallida*) Pale Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) is a fascinating, lush annual plant native to the moist, shaded wetlands and forests of eastern North America. Reaching heights of up to two meters, this robust herb is famous for its delicate, pale-yellow flowers that hang gracefully like tiny slippers. Its translucent, succulent stems are filled with a watery sap that has been valued for generations as a natural remedy for soothing skin irritations caused by poison ivy and stinging nettles. What truly captivates nature enthusiasts is its ingenious method of seed dispersal. Late in the season, its mature green seed capsules become highly pressurized; the slightest touch triggers them to explode, catapulting seeds several feet away. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Typically found in moist, shaded environments such as deciduous forests, stream banks, ravines, and wet ditches. ![Pale Jewelweed](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/703625634/medium.jpg) Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/703625634) ## Appearance Pale Jewelweed is identified by its nodding, pouch-shaped, pale yellow flowers measuring 2 to 3 cm, featuring a short, downward-curved spur. The plant has succulent, translucent stems and alternate, coarsely-toothed ovate leaves that look silvery when submerged in water. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Balsaminaceae - **Genus:** Impatiens ## Interesting facts - If you submerge a leaf of this plant underwater, it acts like a mirror and shines with a brilliant, metallic silver 'jeweled' sheen. - The name 'Touch-Me-Not' directly references the plant's explosive seed pods which burst open at the slightest touch. - The therapeutic sap in its stems is historically used as a natural, highly effective antidote to poison ivy and stinging nettle rashes. ## Special abilities - **Ballistic Seed Dispersal:** Mature seed pods explode violently when touched, flinging seeds up to four feet away to colonize new ground. - **Water-Repelling Foliage:** Leaves feature a hydrophobic coating that repels water, trapping air to create a beautiful silver shine when underwater. - **Soothing Sap Production:** The translucent stems contain a gelatinous sap rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe poison ivy rashes. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-200 cm - **Lifespan:** 1 years ## Diet & Feeding As a photosynthetic plant, it produces its own energy using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water absorbed from damp soil. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Water, Carbon Dioxide, Soil Nutrients ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Feeds on nectar, serving as a primary pollinator for the flowers. - **Competitor:** [Garlic Mustard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garlic-mustard) (*Alliaria petiolata*) — An invasive plant that aggressively competes with jewelweed for space and nutrients in the understory. - **Eaten by:** Jewelweed Aphid (*Aphis impatiphila*) — Sucks nutrient-rich sap from the stems and leaves of the plant. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Pale 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 long is Pale Jewelweed? 100-200 cm ### How long does Pale Jewelweed live? 1 years ### What does Pale Jewelweed eat? As a photosynthetic plant, it produces its own energy using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water absorbed from damp soil. ### Where is Pale Jewelweed usually found? Typically found in moist, shaded environments such as deciduous forests, stream banks, ravines, and wet ditches. ## Where to spot - [Albany Pine Bush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albany-pine-bush) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Fox Chase Farm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fox-chase-farm) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic Site - [Kickapoo State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kickapoo-state-recreation-area) — Illinois, US · State Park - [Mount Philo State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-philo-state-park) — Vermont, US · State Park - [Normal School Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/normal-school-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District [View all places to see Pale Jewelweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pale-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: [Pale Jewelweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pale-jewelweed)