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Smallflower touchmenot

Impatiens parviflora

Also called Small balsam, Small yellow balsam, Small-flowered touch-me-not, Smallflower Touch Me Not, Balsam, Small Touch Me Not, Small Flower Touch Me Not

Smallflower touchmenot
Photo: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5

Smallflower touchmenot is a small annual herb of damp, shady places, native to parts of Eurasia and naturalized elsewhere. Its key feature is seed pods that burst open when touched, and it does best in consistently moist soil.

Family
Balsaminaceae (Balsamin family)
Grows as
Annual
Light
Part shade, Shade
Water
Keep soil consistently moist; it prefers damp conditions and dislikes drying out.
Soil
Sandy, loamy or clay soil that holds moisture; rich organic soil is suitable.
Temperature
Cool to temperate conditions; tolerates frost poorly as an annual, so protect from hard freeze.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not toxic to cats or dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
C. Asia to SW. Siberia and Mongolia
Climate
temperate

About

Impatiens parviflora (small balsam, or small-flowered touch-me-not) is a species of annual herbaceous plants in the family Balsaminaceae, native to some areas of Eurasia, naturalized elsewhere and found in damp shady places. Impatiens parviflora can grow in sandy, loamy, and clay soils and prefers moist soil. The name comes from the fact that ripe seed pods explode when touched to disperse seeds widely.

Uses

Impatiens parviflora has many uses. If cooked, the leaves are completely edible. The seeds can be consumed either raw or cooked. Impatiens parviflora is also used as a treatment for warts, ringworm, and nettle stings. It is also used as a hair rinse to relieve an itchy scalp.

Other Impatiens plants

Stemless Balsam · Impatiens arguta · Paleyellow touch-me-not · Impatiens auricoma · Balfour's touch-me-not · Spotted snapweed · Impatiens bicolor · Impatiens bokorensis · Jewelweed · Heart Leaf Balsam · Tree Dwelling Balsam · Impatiens denisonii

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Impatiens parviflora 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.

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