medicinal herbs
Jewelweed
Impatiens glandulifera

• Medicinal herbs
• Natural herbs
• Latin names
• Common names

Herb: Jewelweed

Latin name: Impatiens glandulifera

Synonyms: Impatiens roylei

Family: Balsaminaceae (Touch-me-not Family)

Medicinal use of Jewelweed:

The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are "Impatience", "Irritability" and "Extreme mental tension". It is also one of the five ingredients in the "Rescue remedy".

Description of the plant:

Habitat of the herb:

Shrubberies and bushy places, often on grazing ground, frequently gregarious, 1800 - 4000 metres in the Himalayas. Grows on river banks and waste places in Britain.

Edible parts of Jewelweed:

Young leaves and shoots - cooked. They should not be used on a regular basis, see warning at top of record. Seed - raw. A delicious nutty flavour, but difficult to harvest in quantity mainly because of their exploding seed capsules which scatter the ripe seed at the slightest touch An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Other uses of the herb:

An oil from the seed is used for lighting.

Propagation of Jewelweed:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. A period of cold stratification may help to improve germination rates. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed, it is worthwhile trying an outdoor sowing in situ in the spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Shrubberies and bushy places, often on grazing ground, frequently gregarious, 1800 - 4000 metres in the Himalayas. Grows on river banks and waste places in Britain.

Known hazards of Impatiens glandulifera:

Regular ingestion of large quantities of these plants can be dangerous due to their high mineral content. This report, which seems nonsensical, might refer to calcium oxalate. This mineral is found in I. capensis and so is probably also in other members of the genus. It can be harmful raw but is destroyed by thoroughly cooking or drying the plant. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.