Jewelweed

Balsaminaceae

LIFE FORM: Summer annual

NATIVITY: Eastern North America

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

A smooth, succulent plant that grows to 5 or 6 feet tall; simple. coarsely toothed leaves are alternate.

FLOWERS:

Orange-yellow, three-petaled flowers are about an inch long with reddish-brown spots and a downward curving spur; they hang down on long stalks.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Seed pods explode when ripe.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

Grows best in moist soil in full sun, but is also shade tolerant. Prefers freshwater wetlands, ponds and streams.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Stream and river bank stabilization.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

This native species forms dense stands under the right conditions; a poultice of the leaves can be used to reduce swelling caused by poison ivy.