Jewelweed -Impatiens Capensis

Other Names:
	I. biflora,  I. pallida, I.  noli-tangere, I. noli-tangere ssp. biflora, I. fulva, I. nortonii
	Touch-me-not; Jewelweed; Pale Jewelweed (pallida); Spotted (Capensis) Jewelweed; lady's-earrings; orange balsam; orange touch-me-not; spotted touch-me-not, Speckled jewels, snapweed
	Impatiente n'y-touchez-pas
	orangefarbenes Springkraut, Echtes Springkraut,  Rühr-mich-nicht-an
	Springzaad
	Kanadensiskt springkorn, vildbalsamin (noli-tangere)
Note	USDA cites I. fulva and I. nortonii as synonyms

Botanical  

- Family Balsaminaceae

Habit: Plants 40-100 cm tall, usually branched and spreading. Leaves ovate to elliptic, 3-9 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide.  Flowers orange-yellow, unspotted or usually with reddish-brown spots, 1.5-2.5 cm long, the spur recurved parallel to the sac, blooms Jul to Sep.
Propagation: Self-seeding annual. 

Distribution: Usually in moist places, moist woods - same environment as Poison Ivy. Newfoundland to Saskatchewan & south to Florida. Naturalized in Britain & elsewhere in Europe
Companion: Seems to get along uncommonly well with Poison Ivy
Harvesting: 

Uses:

Culinary: 

No culinary uses known. Not known to be edible

Spiritual

• (European traditions): Nil noted
• Properties: Correspondences:   
• (American Aboriginal traditions): Used as an ingredient in green corn medicine by the Cherokee Nation

Cosmetic/Aromatic:

 nil

Medicinal

Widely used as a poison ivy remedy; this is one of those herbal cures that is to useful to ignore.  Crush the above-ground part of the plant, adding a little sterile water if required. Cover the poison Ivy rash (or potentially infected area) liberally with the resultant mush.

The very least effect we have ever seen it have is to reduce the itching as well as Calamine lotion does, in many instances we have seen it speed the healing of Poison Ivy rashes to a remarkable degree.

Ethnobotany

• (European traditions):  Poison Ivy remedy, likely learned from First Nations. There were formerly internal uses (jaundice, hepatitis, and dropsy; diuretic, etc) but these are discouraged, as some compounds of this plant are contra-indicated for the problems they were used to treat. From King - "The bruised plants or the juice applied to parts poisoned by rhus, give prompt relief. It also gives relief from the effects of stinging nettle. The recent plant boiled in lard, forms an excellent ointment for piles".  The first two uses we can vouch for - the last remains untried. 
• (American Aboriginal traditions): Most commonly used for rashes, hives,and poison ivy. Poulticed, or juice rubbed on infected area. (Cherokee, Ojibwe, and Iroquois) Most common other uses appear to be as diuretic (internally as infusion) and as a wash of "private parts" during delivery (Cherokee)

Last edited 8 February 2002