Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

August 31st, 2012. We didn’t have a lot of time so we made a quick trip to the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in the Clybel Wildlife Management Area in Jasper County, Georgia. Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is not common in the counties around here. The best place to find them is in moist areas and we found a stand of plants by Murder Creek Church Road belong Fox Lake.

 

Can’t see the trees for the forest

The leaves. The bushes may grow to 7 to 8 feet.

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The flower, from different angles

Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed, Spotted Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-me-not, Orange Jewelweed, Orange Touch-me-not) is native to the United States, where it’s found in eastern states from New England to North Dakota and south, including Colorado, to Texas; It also occurs in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In Georgia, it’s found mainly in counties in the northern part of Georgia although it’s not been formally documented from Jasper County. In north Georgia, they can be found growing by the highway in some places.

This plant gets the name 'Touch-me-not.' not because it has stinging hairs but because touching the mature seedpods causes them to release the seeds explosively. 

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Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed)

- Name that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Impatiens capensis (Spotted Jewelweed, Spotted Touch-me-not,Orange Jewelweed, Orange Touch-me-not)

- Missouri Plants: Impatiens capensis

Distribution:

- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed)

- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Impatiens capensis

Related post:

- Wildflowers at Fox Lake