Impatiens capensis

Whilst wlaking along our local canal the other day I spotted a pretty orange flower that looked like the usual balsam flower but on a much more delicate, shorter plant, this was a new plant to me. After a bit of googling apparently it's a native of America and has naturlised over here now, mainly in the South and usually along canals!!, where the water levels don't change too much. Well I'm in the East Midlands so it may be something of a rarity around here :D...lovely thing, didn't get a picture but here's a link showing it;

Impatiens capensis

Now to find some seed to add it to the collection :D

 

Hi Bilbo .
I also noticed it growing here in Northants last year again near the canal..

Dave

 

I have never seen that in the wild. It looks very pretty. However, we have huge quantities of I. balsamina round here. And it has a characteristic smell as you walk past a big patch.

 

Hi Peter, I remember fishing the rivers in Cheshire and the banks were swamped with 'Himalayan Balsam', sickly sweet smell when you're getting so many plants together (many thousands)..the bees love it, but it's not so good for the native wild flowers....they never got a look in...

 

There are volunteer ladies round here who go through the local woodlands pulling Himalayan Balsam out - but it doesn't seem to be doing any good.

 

I live near a river and a canal , the Himalayan Balsam is everywhere , it seems to be blotting out any other growth . Now why don't plants like this get blooming downy mildew like my deceased busy lizzies !:gaagh:

 

Well been back down to the canal today and managed to collect about 30 seed and lost about twice as many due their lively exploding seed pods :D

Some were a little green so they're just drying off at the moment :thumb: