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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Impatiens pallida (Pale touch-me-not)
Cressler, Alan

Impatiens pallida

Impatiens pallida Nutt.

Pale Touch-me-not, Yellow Jewelweed

Balsaminaceae (Touch-Me-Not Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: IMPA

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A tall leafy plant with succulent, translucent stems bearing nodding, usually pale yellow flowers occasionally splotched with reddish brown.

This soft-stemmed annual is less common than the very similar Spotted Touch-me-not (I. capensis). The sensitive triggering of seeds from the ripe capsule inspired these species' (as well as the family's) common name touch-me-not. Policeman's Hat (I. glandulifera), a large, purple-flowered species with mostly whorled or opposite leaves, is found from Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south to Massachusetts.

 

From the Image Gallery

67 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Leaf: Green
Flower: The flowers of all North American Impatiens species are resupinate.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE , SK
Native Distribution: Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Georgia, west to Oklahoma, and north to North Dakota.
Native Habitat: Wet woods and meadows; often on mountainsides in wet, shady, limestone or neutral sites.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACW FACW FACW FACW FACW
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Impatiens pallida in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Impatiens pallida in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Impatiens pallida

Metadata

Record Modified: 2014-08-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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