Impatiens pallida Nutt.

Yellow jewelweed, pale touch-me-not

Yellow jewelweed is a North American native plant. Im­patiens means “impatient,” a reference to the fact that dried seed capsules burst open when touched. Pallida means “pale,” because these flowers are pale compared to those of the closely related species spotted jewelweed.

Plants: 3–5′ (1–1.5 m) high, with translucent and rather fragile stems.

Leaves: Leaves are bluish-green, oval-shaped, with shallow teeth, 1½–3 ⨉ ½–1¼″ (3.8–7.6 ⨉ 1.3–3.2 cm).

Flowers: Flowers occur in clusters of one to three, appearing from July to September. Viewed from the side, flowers are shaped a bit like a horn of plenty, yellow or pale yellow, with two large lower petals and one upper petal. There are usually a few red-brown spots within the throat of the flower, but none elsewhere. Each flower is about ¾″ (1.9 cm) in size.

Fruits: The seed pods, about ¾–1¼″ (1.9–3.2 cm) long, spread their seeds by drying into a spring-loaded form that pops upon contact.

Habitats: Regions that are at least seasonally wet and partially shaded, such as creek beds or damp soils. Spotted and yellow jewelweed prefer similar habitats and are often found close to each other.

Similar species.

Medical: Yellow jewelweed is believed by many to have mild antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties, but see the article on spotted jewelweed, which is much more effective.

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

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