SafePlants

Pale Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)

Also known as Pale Touch-me-not or Yellow Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida is a captivating wildflower with unique characteristics and a fascinating seed dispersal mechanism.

Considerations for Pets

• This plant has stems described as succulent and translucent.

Considerations for Children

• The plant gets the name "Touch-me-not" from its explosive seedpods, which release seeds when touched.

Common Names

• Pale Jewelweed
• Pale Touch-me-not
• Yellow Jewelweed
• Yellow Touch-me-not
• Snapweed
• Balsam

Scientific Classification

• Scientific Name: Impatiens pallida Nutt.
• Family: Balsaminaceae (Touch-me-not Family)
• Genus: Impatiens
• Synonym: Impatiens aurea

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to Canada and the United States.
• Found in moist to wet areas.

Morphological Characteristics

• Grows to 5 feet tall.
• Tall leafy plant with succulent, translucent stems.
• Nodding, usually pale yellow flowers, occasionally splotched with reddish brown or red spots.
• Flowers are 1 to 1.4 inches long, funnel-shaped, and typically unspotted or with few spots; sometimes with red spots, with a short spur at the back.
• The upper two sepals are yellow, small, and located behind the upper lip.
• Lemon yellow flowers where the conical portion of the flower is about as long as it is wide, with a shorter spur.

Quirky Facts

• The plant is called "Touch-me-not" because its seed pods explode when touched, dispersing seeds. This earned it other nicknames such as "Quick-in-hand".

Distinguishing Features

• Impatiens pallida is distinguished from its close relative, Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis), by its pale yellow flowers, while I. capensis has bright orange flowers.
• The throat of the flower may have brown spots only.

Further Resources

• Dave's Garden is mentioned as a resource for gardening tips and ideas.