- Member of the Impatiens family (as is Jewelweed/Touch-Me-Not)
- Also known as Poor Man's Orchid, "Kiss-Me-On-The-Mountain", Policeman's Helmet, Gnome's Hatstand, Jumping Jack, Pink Peril (in conservation circles), Ornamental Jewelweed, Indian Balsam, "Bee-Bums" (from the fact that that's what you see when a bee is in the blossom).
- Originally from the Himalayas
- Flowers June to October
- Seed pods explode when disturbed, scattering up to 800 seeds up to 7 metres (23 ft). Impatiens, meaning "impatient", refers to this method of dispersal.
- Can become invasive.
- The seeds are buoyant and can travel along waterways to infest new areas, even germinating under water.
- The crushed foliage has a strong musty smell.
- High nectar production which attracts pollinators, often allows the Himalayan Balsam to out-compete native plants.
- Today it has spread across most of the UK and some local wildlife trusts there organise "balsam bashing" events to help control the plant.
- Spotted Jewelweed (aka Touch-Me-Not) grows under similar conditions as Himalayan Balsam, but it is not considered as aggressive or invasive. Both plants share the remarkable ability to spread their seeds by explosive pods that form later in the summer.
August 4th, 2011
August 4th, 2011
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August 10th, 2011
August 18th, 2011
September 2nd, 2011
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September 24th, 2011
September 24th, 2011
October 11th, 2011
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