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What flower is this?

comments (19) October 3rd, 2009 in gallery

sarahsflowers sarahsflowers, member
8 users recommend
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it is about 4-5 ft tall..the flowers turn to a pod that throws it's seed..

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Comments (19)

jjkas writes: This plant is Impatiens glandulifera, an ornamental jewelweed native to Asia. Follow this link to read its profile on the USDA plant database.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=imgl

Importantly, though pretty, it is considered invasive in much of its US habitat. You shouldn't encourage its growth, or offer its seeds to others. In my sister's yard in the Adirondacks, it grew up to 8' tall, and crowded out everything in the areas at her lawn's edge where it spread. We have been pulling out every seedling we can find. Posted: 10:23 pm on March 8th
Gulchgardener writes: King County Washington extension office refers to this as Policemans Helmet. They consider it a noxious weed to that county. I am from an ajouning county and was given this as a gift several years ago. I have over a 1000 starts come up a year, but as long as you are on top of it and immediately weed out the ones you don't want, it can be controlled and a pretty and novely plant. I let 2-3 survive per year. My grandson refers to it as "grandma's snappy plant." Posted: 2:49 pm on January 19th
AutumnzLeavez writes: This is commonly called "Austrailian Orchid" and everybody who said it was TALL and invasive is absolutely RIGHT! It pops itz seed when you barely touch it. Watch your eyes around this one! When ripe, a breeze will cause them to "burst forth". It has taken me approx. 7 yrs to get it down to a few. Without seedheads they make wonderful compost as the stalks are very meaty and juicey and long. I let them attain some hieght before pulling them when I see them, NOW I let afew grow and watch them like a hawk just to get them ito the compost. DO NOT let them get passed the bud stage. YOU'LL BE SORRY!!!!!!!!! Posted: 5:28 pm on December 2nd
Glade writes: Sorry, it is Himalayan impatiens and it is a noxious weed that is on the invasive plant list here in BC (Zone 5) Canada.

It can spit seeds faster than you can pull them, so just do yourself, your neighbour and the wild environment a favour and don't plant it. It MIGHT be okay in the hot sun, but who is to say it won't spit its seeds into a nice shady area and then it is well on its way....Nurseries should not be selling it....

This Spring, I spent a whole day with 8 other people, pulling this weed from a natural area that it has invaded. We didn't make a dent and we do it every year.

Pretty doesn't always mean nice. Good luck! Posted: 7:08 pm on November 30th
Quiche writes: To me, this pink bloom (pretty) resembles my sweet pea....it grows as a fine (a' la Jack in the bean stalk!)- it will grow and grow. Do you think it's a Sweet Pea? Posted: 8:28 am on November 23rd
cocowalk writes: I think this plant is balsam impatiens balsamina. I bought some seeds on ebay about two ago, and I've been pulling them by the bagful every month (I live in Florida).
Posted: 11:52 pm on October 23rd
dellio writes: Hi,
I have this plant in deep shade and love it. Mine is lavender and white and definitely looks like a small orchid. It's name is impatiens balfourii, Poor Man's Orchid or Touch Me Not. I live in northern California and it grows very well here. I just dig up the volunteers and share them with neighbors. Non one has complained yet.
Good luck with yours!! Posted: 1:57 pm on October 23rd
Karil writes: I've had this plant for several years. It was given to me under the name "Poor Man's Orchids." It is NOT the jewelweed. It is easy to grow, yah, invasive through reseeding, so plant it carefully. They are the happiest in my NW yard getting afternoon sun and plenty of water. They will grow to 5-6 feet tall, as mentioned and bloom until frost. We had a heat wave that toppled a few of them (the white ones). The ones I encourage are a medium lavendar shade of pink. They grow best/largest 10-15 inches apart and are easy to transplant when under a foot tall. If you crowd them or have them in full shade they stay small. My smallest one was a stray seed in a window box that got 4 inches high and had 2 blooms!
They have lovely red stalks (2 inche diament) and veins on the leaves. They are very easy to thin. To help control the spread, I like to put mine where they reseed over cement. Posted: 3:51 pm on October 20th
pamelarms writes: This plant is considered EXTREMELY invasive in the Northwest U.S., beware! I think it's even been listed on the invasive species list. Posted: 10:23 pm on October 19th
KathyLD writes: Beware!!!! This plant is extremely invasive - I fell in love with it about 5 years ago, one plant on the trail where we walk the dogs. Harvested some seeds, grew them for one season and am still trying to get rid of it! The one plant by river is now a huge area of growth, and now I see it enmasse by the train tracks. Has exploded in 5 short years! Posted: 7:33 pm on October 19th
MuffettG writes: If it weren't for the leaves, I'd say it was some kind of Orchid. Sure is beautiful. You can send me the seeds... Posted: 10:57 am on October 19th
softballstar writes: Is this plant hardy to the southeast?? This has a very pretty flower and would like to try it this spring if I can find it around here. Posted: 8:36 am on October 19th
froggie writes: This plant is very familiar to me-- my Mother always referred to it as balsam. It is VERY attractive to bees, & while it does seed itself, is easy to remove. A lovely background plant in a bed. Posted: 7:31 am on October 19th
KarinofQuebec writes: Garius, right on! I even know how it got there now. Purchased a couple of young Himalayan Impatiens at the local Hort Club spring sale - not really knowing what they were. I have some Orange Jewelweed too and never made the connection. Always Learning! Will try to get this to grow in some tough spots next year. In french it is called Balsamine de l'Himalaya. Merci! Posted: 12:05 am on October 7th
Garius writes: It was the explosive seeds that gave it away. One of the common names is touch-me-not, which refers to the projectile seeds. Kids love that.

Your blooms appear larger than usual, and it is a nice looking plant, so I would definitely keep it around. Although it may be invasive in some areas, I would just watch it and see what it does in your garden. The wild jewelweed that I'm familiar with likes damp shade, so yours probably would too, and wouldn't spread much in other conditions. The seedlings (and mature plants) are pretty easy to pull, so I wouldn't worry too much. Posted: 10:39 am on October 6th
sarahsflowers writes: thank you so much garius!!!! that is it..i shall collect the pods before they spread..i still like it even though unchecked it could be a menace...
Posted: 6:13 pm on October 5th
Garius writes: I thought it looked like jewelweed, but wasn't aware that jewelweed came in pink. So I googled, and sure enough, it does come in pink. Here's a picture (scroll down on the page)
http://huckleberrydays.blogspot.com/2008/09/invasive-jewelweeds-policemans-helmet.html Posted: 1:58 pm on October 5th
sarahsflowers writes: it really only comes back by the seed and i believe it is a wild flower of some sort..i think it is a gem..but the name escapes me. Posted: 10:16 pm on October 4th
KarinofQuebec writes: Thank-you, I was going to post the same question today. Mine is 5-6 feet tall, Blooms started mid August for at least 1 month. Pod releases seeds like a coiled spring.
Dying to know if I have a problem or a gem! Posted: 3:22 pm on October 4th
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