What an amusing and fun plant! Commonly known as “Touch-Me-Not,” Jewelweed is a tall, self-seeding annual that likes moist shady areas. Its swollen mature seed pods pop open at the slightest touch, dispersing seeds, and the pod skins curl back immediately. Hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies are drawn to the bright orange blooms, and it is well known for its anti-itch, anti-fungal properties in the juice from crushed stems. Foragers eat the seeds, which are said to taste like walnuts. Fun note: Impatiens is Latin for impatient, an apt description for this plant that discharges its seeds so forcibly!
