What’s your favourite colour?
Orange! I know orange is popular in October, what with the maple leaves and pumpkins. But I start flowering in July and keep going straight through autumn. I’m an influencer of the plant world!
Do you have a nickname?
I’m also known as touch-me-not and snapweed. My formal name is Impatiens capensis and I have many different names among the Indigenous peoples in what is now North America, my home for eons.
Impatiens? Are you the same as red and pink Impatiens sold in plant nurseries?
We’re all in the same family, but the species you see in stores are likely native to North Africa or New Guinea and therefore don’t survive our winters. I’m a self-seeding annual: the seeds drop to the ground and germinate the following year.
Do you have a hidden talent?
That’s the reason for my other names, touch-me-not and snapweed. If you pick a seed pod from my stems, the pod will pop in your hand. The snap! is surprisingly loud and the seed leaps into the air. It’s like tiny fireworks!
That’s quite a talent! What about a superpower?
The sap from my stems and leaves has long been used to treat stings and rashes caused by other plants such as poison ivy and stinging nettle. Honestly, I think those plants should be called touch-me-not.
Who’s your BFF?
As I mentioned, I’m a bit of an influencer so I have many friends. One special friend is Bombus impatiens who you might know as bumblebee. Bombus means buzzing and impatiens, well, that’s me! Bumblebees love jewelweed’s nectar, and their pollination helps to boost my followers.
One wish?
Enjoy the autumn colours! When looking up into the trees, remember to look down as well. Many wildflowers are still in bloom, and we are all a treasure.
Each month, Wild Talk columnist Katherine Barrett interviews a local plant while printmaker Vanessa McKiel captures their portrait.
