Impatiens grandulifera - Indian Touch-Me-Not

As I was roaming the internet looking for more information on Jewel Weed, I came across a terrific blog from BC, called Huckleberry Days. For those of us not living in BC, some of the information about whether a species is invasive or native might not fit, but the author has much that is of interest for anyone with an eye to learning about natural history and biodiversity, not to mention the beautiful photography (check out this post of pictures from the Fraser Delta).

So, I was looking for Jewel Weed becasue in our back alley there is a plant whose flowers look like the Pale Jewel Weed (Impatiens pallida) that I've posted on before, except that they are pink. I think I've been able to determine that this is another variety of the Impatiens grouping.

Here's what I have found:

This photo was taken from Everything You'd Love to Know: Garden. I hope to put my own photo in soon. (The camera battery is recharging after all the caterpillar/chrysialis/butterfly photos!)

4. Impatiens grandulifera

Impatiens glandulifera is known by several common names including Indian Touch-Me-Not, Himalayan Impatiens, Himalyan Balsam, Policeman's Helmut (UK) and Ornamental Jewelweed.

Although in its native range (India and the western Himalayas) this species is frost tolerant and is found at elevations up to 4000 meters, there is speculation here that the number of frost free days and annual winter temperatures may limit its distribution in North America.

From Huckleberry Days: Invasive jewelweeds

If I'm correct in this identification, then it's interesting to note that, according to Huckleberry Days, this is an invasive species (at least in BC). This is the variety that I remember popping when we lived in the Lower Mainland of BC, just a couple of blocks from our home, on an undeveloped lot.

Funny that we've found them in the right-of-way where the children have played off and on all summer, and that no-one has noticed them before. So, here we have Indian Touch-Me-Not (or Himalayan Impatiens which sounds so much more exotic). The cluster of plants we have range in blossom colour from the vibrant pink you see pictured above to a pale, near white-pink.

I actually spent yesterday evening doing a dry-brush illustration of the Indian Touch-Me-Not to include in a get-well card that I'll be mailing off on Monday. If the batteries are up in time, I might just snap a photo before I send it away.