Native #5:
SPOTTED JEWELWEED
Impatiens capensis

 Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

© Bill Hilton Jr.

Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, also called "Touch-me-not" because its pods will fling out seeds at the slightest contact, is a succulent plant often found in the wild with Poison Ivy, Rhus radicans. It's a curious relationship, enhanced because Jewelweed tea is sometimes used to treat ivy dermatitis. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are quite attracted to the orange-flowered Spotted Jewelweed, but seem to pay less attention to Yellow Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, which grows in alkaline soils. Jewelweed is a rather delicate succulent plant whose stems are easily broken by passers-by or even heavy rains.

If you have a sharp photo of this hummingbird flower you would like to contribute for this page, please send it to PROJECTS with info about when and where the photo was taken, the photographer's name, and any anecdotal info about the plant.

CULTIVATION TIPS

Annual, self-seeding
Blooms July through early October
Moist or wet soil, acid
Light shade
Zones 2-8
NOTE: We are not horticulturists, so we regret we can't answer specific questions about how to plant and propagate native hummingbird flowers, but your local agriculture extension office or Master Gardener group may be able to help. We're also unable to provide names of sources from which you can order native plants. Please do NOT collect native plants from the wild unless they are growing in a site under immediate threat from development; instead, try to find a reputable nursery near you that raises native plants from cuttings or seeds.

Back to #4 Cardinal Flower; forward to #6 Red Columbine

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