On my trip to southern Bavaria I met a plant that seemed to be almost everywhere, which my father identified as Impatiens glandulifera or “Drüsiges Springkraut” (English names are Indian Touch-Me-Not, Himalayan Impatiens, Himalyan Balsam, Policeman’s Helmet (UK) and Ornamental Jewelweed .
John Wright knows about the plant: “herbaceous annual that is succulent and glabrous (smooth and hairless), and it can range from three to ten feet tall. The upright, hollow stems are easily broken and they have a purplish tinge. The leaf arrangement can be opposite or whorled, with (usually) three leaves to a node. The simple leaves range from oblong to ovate to elliptic (egg shaped), and they are about six inches long and half as wide. The leaf margins are sharply serrate with 20 teeth, or more, along each side. Each leaf has a stout petiole (stem), with small, glandular stalks found at the base of these petioles. Several solitary flowers terminate an elongated axillary stalk. The flowers are irregular, with five petals (two fused), three sepals (two fused) and five stamens with connate (fused) filaments. The overall flower shape resembles an English policeman’s helmet. The fused sepals form a spur less than six mm long. The flower color ranges from white to all shades of pink and purple. The fruit is a five chambered capsule. When touched, the mature capsule explodes and ejects up to 800 seeds. The roots extend four to six inches deep, with adventitious roots found along the lower stem nodes, sometimes buttressing.”
What is more important to know about the plant, though, is that it is a “neophyte”, an alien plant originally stemming from Eastern India and the Himalaya region that - once set free from gardens - has been growing extremely invasively in moist areas (we saw lots and lots along any brook or river or pond we encountered) actively and ambitiously edging out and endangering the usual local flora.
From what I read Impatiens was brought to England in 1839 (”one of the “top 20″ aliens in Great Britian because of abundance and distribution”) and has been running wild in Germany since about 1900 moving northward from the Swiss-German border.
Insects love it because its blooms from July to September provide lots of nectar and pollen.
A special way of distributing its seeds gave the plant some of its names: “When the seed capsules are mature, they split along the five seams of the fused stamens, ejecting seeds for up to 20 feet. The seeds travel along waterways, and they can germinate under water. The seeds are viable for 18 months, or more.”
Impatiens is one of the Bach flowers used by Dr. Edward Bach to cure and heal in a way related to homoeopathy. As a Bach remedy Impatiens is asociated with a lack of patience, frustration and irritability. “nyone can get into this state of mind, but there are also genuine Impatiens types, who live life at a rush and hate being held back by more methodical people. To avoid this irritation they try if possible to work alone: the Impatiens boss is the one who sends staff home early so she can get the job finished quicker!”..”The remedy helps these people be less hasty and more relaxed and patient with others. It is also an ingredient in the composite Rescue Remedy, where it is used to help calm agitated thoughts and feelings.”..”
Those who are quick in thought and action and who wish all things to be done without hesitation or delay. When ill they are anxious for a hasty recovery. They find it very difficult to be patient with people who are slow, as they consider it wrong and a waste of time, and they will endeavour to make such people quicker in all ways. They often prefer to work and think alone, so that they can do everything at their own speed.” (taken from http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/38/impatien.htm.
Links on invasive “alien” species:
neophyte, alien, impatiens, impatiens+glandulifera, glandulifera, Touch-Me-Not, Himalaya, Bach, Edward+Bach, Bach+flowers, Bach+remedies, Himalayan+balsam, Policeman´s+Helmet, Ornamental+Jewelweed, Jewelweed, Springkraut, Drüsiges+Springkraut
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