# 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!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands
- **Also known as:** Jewelweed

![Touch-me-not Balsam](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/NoliTangere_Pflanze.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Túrelio, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NoliTangere_Pflanze.jpg)

## 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.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ericales
- **Family:** Balsaminaceae
- **Genus:** Impatiens

## 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

- **Explosive Seeds:** Touch-me-not Balsam can launch its seeds far away by bursting its ripe seed pods, helping it spread to new places.
- **Water Magician:** Touch-me-not Balsam has leaves that repel water, making dew drops bead up like jewels, which helps it stay clean.
- **See-Through Stems:** 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](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.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [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 look but don't touch the flowers too hard, so you don't hurt them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Touch-me-not Balsam?

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 Touch-me-not Balsam?

30-120 cm

### How wide does Touch-me-not Balsam spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Touch-me-not Balsam?

2-4 cm

### When does Touch-me-not Balsam bloom?

Summer to early fall

### Is Touch-me-not Balsam edible?

Yes

### Is Touch-me-not Balsam toxic?

None

### What is Touch-me-not Balsam's lifecycle?

Annual

## 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*)

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Source: [Touch-me-not Balsam: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/touch-me-not-balsam)