Jewelweed, silverweed, ear jewel, spotted touch-me-not — these are all common names of Impatiens capensis. Jewelweed often grows in lush patches along streambeds, wet meadows, pond edges, and roadsides and is producing flowers and seeds now. So this is a good time to look closely at this interesting plant and contemplate the many names. 

The name jewelweed could come from the fact that drops of water bead up on the leaves and glisten like jewels in the sunshine.

Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Underwater the leaves glow brightly due to tiny hairs that trap a layer of air, hence the name silverweed.

Ear-jewel is another name referring to the elegant earring-like flowers. These showy flowers produce nectar in the long spurs at the back of the flower. Keep an eye out for hummingbirds, bees, flies, and wasps enjoying the nectar, and beavers munching the whole plant!

Left flower with female sticky stigma at the inside top of the entrance of the flower. Right flower with pollen-laden male anthers. The male flower parts develop before the female parts to encourage cross-pollination.
Judy Gallagher, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sweat Bee hiding in a jewel weed flower
Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Although another name is spotted touch-me-not, please do touch! When the green seedpods are plump with ripe seeds, the slightest touch will explode the seed pod, peeling the sides open and flinging out the seeds as a delightful dispersal strategy (and possibly also preventing predators from eating the seeds).

What name would you give jewelweed?!

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