Touch-me-not Balsam

Impatiens noli-tangere

Touch-me-not Balsam is a fun flower that loves to grow in shady places. When you touch its ripe seed pods, they pop open and scatter seeds everywhere, which is super exciting!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Touch-me-not Balsam has delicate, nodding yellow or orange-yellow flowers often speckled with red-brown dots. Its stems are juicy and somewhat translucent, contrasting with oval, bright green leaves with toothed edges.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyBalsaminaceaeGenusImpatiens

Touch-me-not Balsam

Interesting facts

Droplets of morning dew sparkle like jewels on its leaves!

Its scientific name means "do not touch," for its bursting seed pods!

Some flowers never fully open, but still create seeds!

The stems are so clear you can sometimes see liquid inside them!

Special abilities

Touch-me-not Balsam can launch its seeds far away by bursting its ripe seed pods, helping it spread to new places.

Touch-me-not Balsam has leaves that repel water, making dew drops bead up like jewels, which helps it stay clean.

Touch-me-not Balsam has stems that are almost clear, allowing sunlight to reach inner cells more easily to help it grow.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-120 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 2-4 cm
Bloom Season: Summer to early fall
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Annual
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

White-tailed Bumblebee

Bombus lucorum

collects nectar and pollen from its flowers

eats

Spanish slug

Arion vulgaris

feeds on its leaves and tender stems

parasitizes

Jewelweed Leaf Miner

Phytomyza major

larvae tunnel through its leaves, weakening the plant

pollinates

European Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

visits flowers for nectar and pollen

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shade Tolerant

Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

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.