Wildflowers of the Stuttgart Area
Impatiens glandulifera
| Family : | BALSAMINACEAE (Touch-me-not Family) |
| Common Name (UK) : | Indian Balsam |
| Common Name (DE) : | Drüsiges Springkraut |
| Common Name (FR) : | Impatiente de l'Himalaya |
| Habitat : | Damp waste ground and on river banks |
| Remarks : | In 1938 the famous Irish naturalist Praeger described this plant as rare and cited the shores of Lough Neagh as one of its sites. Now, sixty years on this Himalayan species, introduced for garden purposes, has spread along most large rivers and locally may dominate the vegetation. It is a tall succulent annual with variably coloured flowers followed by fruits which have an explosive method of seed dispersal. One of its 'common' names, coined in the 1950s, is 'policeman's helmet', which refers to the flower having the shape of an English police helmet. The common houseplant called 'Busy Lizzie' is closely related.
Introduced to the U.S. where it is considered a noxious weed. |
| First appearing : | July |
| Abundance : | Abundant |
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