Orange Jewelweed

Annual • $6, 4-inch pot

• 

Height	2 to 5 ft
Spacing	1 to 2 ft
Sun Exposure	Light Shade
Soil Moisture	Medium Wet to Wet
Bloom Color	Orange
Bloom Time	July, Aug, Sept
Companion Plantings	Blue Lobelia, Tall Bellflower
Special Attributes

Impatiens capensis

This interesting native annual completes its lifecycle in one growing season, but is very easy to grow from seed (as long as it is sown fresh) and will likely self-seed in your garden. Happy in wet, fertile soil in light shade, this plant can tolerate standing water for up to 2 weeks, after which it will start to decline. If planting in poor soil, consider amending the original soil with compost. Both Orange and Yellow Jewelweed have traditionally been used to treat poison ivy rash and pain from stinging nettles, plants that may often be found growing together in similar environments.

The seed capsules of this plant split open when ripe, flinging the seeds an impressive distance from the parent plant, a quality indicated by the name of its genus, Impatiens. As with many annuals, this plant is a very successful self-seeder; some may find this characteristic aggressive, although the plants are non-rhizomatous and easy to pull.

The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird will visit this plant, in addition to bumblebees and a handful of other pollinators. Both Orange and Yellow Jewelweed are host to at least a dozen moth and butterfly species native to the Southern Indiana and Louisville area. Deer may browse on this foliage. Also called Orange Touch-Me-Not.

Related Plants