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Impatiens glandulifera
Also called Indian Balsam, Ornamental Jewelweed, Policeman's Helmet, Glandular Touch Me Not, Purple Jewelweed
Himalayan balsam is a large, fast-spreading annual from the Himalayas with pink hooded flowers, grown mainly as a garden plant but widely invasive in the wild. Its seed pods explode when touched, so control means pulling plants before they set seed.
Impatiens glandulifera, Himalayan balsam, is a large annual plant native to the Himalayas. Via human introduction it is now present across much of the Northern Hemisphere and is considered an invasive species in many areas. Uprooting or cutting the plants is an effective means of control.
In Europe, Himalayan balsam has been included since 2017 in the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that the species cannot be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.
Himalayan balsam is native to the Himalayas, specifically to the areas between Kashmir and Uttarakhand. In its native range it is usually found at altitudes between 2000 and 2500 m above sea level, although it has been reported at up to 4000 m above sea level.
Himalayan Balsam is edible, but should be eaten in moderation as it contains oxalates
Impatiens arguta · Spotted snapweed · Jewelweed · Impatiens denisonii · New Guinea Impatiens · Touch-me-not Balsam · Hardy Impatiens · Pale touch-me-not · Impatiens pseudoviola · Ceylon Balsam · Impatiens stenantha · Impatiens tinctoria
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Impatiens glandulifera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
