Plant
Spotted Touch-me-not
Impatiens capensisAlso known as Orange Jewelweed, Common Jewelweed, Spotted Jewelweed, Orange Balsam
Orange jewelweed thrives in damp soils along streams and woodland edges, forming dense stands with translucent, succulent stems. Its cornucopia-shaped blossoms attract ruby-throated hummingbirds, while submerged leaves shimmer like polished silver due to trapped surface air. When mature seed capsules are touched, they burst open explosively to launch seeds several feet away.
WetlandAnnualWildflower
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- White-tailed Deer
- Aphids
- Moth Caterpillars
ThreatsHabitat drainage, competitive invasive wetland plants
HabitatsWetland margins, stream banks, ditches, moist bottomland woods
Life spanAnnual (1 year)
Classification
- OrderEricales
- FamilyBalsaminaceae
- GenusImpatiens
- SpeciesImpatiens capensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Touch ripe pods: Gently squeeze full seed pods in late summer to trigger their spring-loaded seed release.
- Observe leaf foliage: Dip a leaf beneath water to reveal the silver, jewel-like sheen created by trapped surface air.
Pollinator jeffreyw / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Frequent Companion (c) Sam Fraser-Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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