Jewelweed in the Garden: Pretty, Possibly Useful
2021-11-09
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1Lee Reich is an expert on gardening who writes about the subject for the Associated Press.
2Recently, he wrote a story about a plant that a gardening friend could not identify -- even though the plant is common.
3The plant has green leaves and large, yellow flowers.
4It appeared in Reich's friend's garden although he had not planted it.
5The area did not get a lot of sunlight.
6Reich identified the growth as soon as he saw it --- jewelweed.
7His friend was surprised. He thought he knew what jewelweed looked like.
8In fact, he had an area in his garden filled with the plants. But those were bright orange.
9It turns out that jewelweed comes in a lot of colors.
10Orange is most common in the United States.
11But jewelweed flowers can be yellow, pink and even brown.
12The fruit of the jewelweed explodes at the lightest touch.
13Seeds fly out in all directions.
14That quality is why "touch-me-not" became the common name for jewelweed.
15Scientifically, the plants are known as impatiens.
16Impatiens capensis is the name of the orange touch-me-not.
17The jewelweed with the yellow flowers is Impatiens pallida.
18And there are a thousand other kinds of jewelweed.
19All are famous for their ability to produce bright, colorful flowers even when growing in shade.
20The flowers appeal to bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
21Reich says jewelweed's "impatient" method of seed spread might be a good quality if you want a plant that spreads and returns every year.
22Of course, a plant that is too good at that could take over more space than you expect or want it to.
23Anything with 'weed' in its name might seem like a bad addition to your garden, Reich notes.
24But he says some jewelweed versions are pretty enough to have been offered by dealers in native plants.
25Jewelweed is not just another pretty flower, however.
26The U.S. Forest Service website notes that the plant has a long history in Native American medicine.
27Jewelweed sap, or fluid, can be used directly on the body to ease pain and itching from many conditions, including poison ivy rash.
28The sap has also been shown to have antifungal properties and can be used to treat athlete's foot.
29I'm Caty Weaver.
1Lee Reich is an expert on gardening who writes about the subject for the Associated Press. Recently, he wrote a story about a plant that a gardening friend could not identify -- even though the plant is common. 2The plant has green leaves and large, yellow flowers. It appeared in Reich's friend's garden although he had not planted it. The area did not get a lot of sunlight. 3Reich identified the growth as soon as he saw it --- jewelweed. 4His friend was surprised. He thought he knew what jewelweed looked like. In fact, he had an area in his garden filled with the plants. But those were bright orange. 5It turns out that jewelweed comes in a lot of colors. Orange is most common in the United States. But jewelweed flowers can be yellow, pink and even brown. 6The fruit of the jewelweed explodes at the lightest touch. Seeds fly out in all directions. That quality is why "touch-me-not" became the common name for jewelweed. 7Scientifically, the plants are known as impatiens. Impatiens capensis is the name of the orange touch-me-not. The jewelweed with the yellow flowers is Impatiens pallida. And there are a thousand other kinds of jewelweed. All are famous for their ability to produce bright, colorful flowers even when growing in shade. The flowers appeal to bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators. 8Reich says jewelweed's "impatient" method of seed spread might be a good quality if you want a plant that spreads and returns every year. Of course, a plant that is too good at that could take over more space than you expect or want it to. 9Anything with 'weed' in its name might seem like a bad addition to your garden, Reich notes. But he says some jewelweed versions are pretty enough to have been offered by dealers in native plants. 10Jewelweed is not just another pretty flower, however. The U.S. Forest Service website notes that the plant has a long history in Native American medicine. Jewelweed sap, or fluid, can be used directly on the body to ease pain and itching from many conditions, including poison ivy rash. The sap has also been shown to have antifungal properties and can be used to treat athlete's foot. 11I'm Caty Weaver. 12Lee Reich wrote this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 13____________________________________________________ 14Words in This Story 15gardening - n. to use an area of ground to grow plants, such as flowers or vegetables 16shade - n. an area darkened when something blocks the light of the sun 17pollinator - n. anything that helps carry pollen from one plant to another of the same kind so that it will produce seeds 18impatient - adj. not willing to wait for something or someone: not patient 19poison ivy rash - n. a condition in which the skin becomes itchy, red and uneven after contact with oils produced by a poison ivy plant 20athlete's foot - n. a condition in which the skin between and around the toes cracks and peels 21We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.