FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Watery fluids of jewelweed are thought to dilute the sap of Toxicodendron radicans (eastern poison ivy), making the rash less severe.
Synonym(s): Impatiens biflora, Impatiens fulva, Impatiens noli-tangere, Impatiens nortonii
Description: Medium to tall, bright green, succulent herb, reaching 1.5 m.
Leaves: Smooth, succulent stems contain alternately arranged ovate to elliptic leaves produced on long petioles. Leaves 3 to 10 cm long and 3 to 8 cm wide with crenate edges.
Flowers/Fruit: Orange, tubular "bugle-like" flowers with brownish spots. Ends of flowers have curved spurs. Mature football-shaped seed capsules explode and scatter seeds when ripe, hence the plant's other common name, "touch-me-not." Blooms from May to frost; fruits soon after flowering.
Habit and Range: Stream and lake edges and moist woods throughout North Carolina.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
A similar species with yellow flowers, Impatiens pallida (pale jewelweed), occurs in wet woods and seepage areas in the Mountains.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
