Impatiens glandulifera Royle

Himalayan balsam, kiss-me-on-the-mountain, ornamental jewelweed

Himalayan balsam is native to the Himalayas, originally mostly at elevations between 1.2–1.6 mi (2–2.5 km), but it has been so successful in northern North America and Europe that it is considered an invasive in many areas. It seems perfectly content from sea level to as much as 2.5 mi (4 km) now. Living in midcoast Maine, I hadn’t seen it, but only 40 miles north of here, in the Camden area of Maine, it is increasingly widespread.

Plants: These annual plants 3–6½′ (1–2 m) high, often towering over other meadow plants. A single erect stem is soft, and green or purple-red in color.

Leaves: Lanceolate, oblong, or elliptic in shape. They are 1¾–9″ (5–23 cm) long, with sharply serrated edges and sharp tips. Where leaves attach to stems, glands release a sticky, edible, sweet nectar.

Flowers: Pink (sometimes white or purple) flowers are shaped little like miniature horns of plenty. They are 1–1½″ (3–4 cm) tall and ¾″ (2 cm) wide. Each flower has five petals, two of which are fused together, and three sepals, two of which fuse to form a spur behind the flower. Flowers occur in a spray at the top of the plant, and occur from June to October.

Fruits: Seed pods are ½–⅞ ⨉ ¼″ (1.4–2.5 cm ⨉ 8 mm). When dried, the pods explode at the merest touch, spreading seeds—up to 2500 of them.

Habitats: Disturbed soils, meadows, and fields.

Edibility: Green unripe pods, seeds, young leaves, and shoots are edible. Flowers can be made into jam.

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Impatiens glandulifera description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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