Today a post of the Balsaminaceae or the Balsam family. Many of you readers will know the infamous Himalayan Balsam which conservationists dislike due to its very rapid growth!
This is nevertheless a handsome plant and we investigate the uses for this species as well as the other species occuring in the British Isles.
FBBC behind the name in the contents below means the plant occurs in the Birmingham and Black Country as found in the Flora. Pictures with thanks to Mike Poulton, Matt Summers and Wikipedia. Links and texts from various websites have been used for information.
Contents:
Balsaminaceae family
Impatiens noli-tangere or Touch-me-not Balsam
I. glandulifera or Himalayan Balsam FBBC
Why is Himalayan Balsam a problem?
I. capensis or Orange Balsam FBBC
I. parviflora or Small Balsam FBBC
I. walleriana or Busy Lizzie FBBC
The Balsaminaceae family
The Balsaminaceae (commonly known as the Balsam family) has two genera: Impatiens, which consists of over 1000 species, and Hydrocera, consisting of 1 species!
In the British Isles we only have one native Impatiens and 3 non-native or neophytes.
Lets start with our native one:
Impatiens noli-tangere or Touch-me-not Balsam
An annual herb of nutrient-rich, damp to wet, occasionally waterlogged soils. It is found in shady woodlands as well as occurring on the edges of rivers, streams and lakes. Plants grow to variable sizes, with smaller plants appearing unbranched whereas taller, branched plants reach heights of 150 cm or more. The species forms stands of a few plants up to populations of several thousand. Seeds are ejected from the exploding capsules up to 2–3 m and float in water, allowing them to be distributed farther afield. Considered to be native only in the Lake District and mid-Wales (Hatcher, 2003).
From Wikipedia: Impatiens is Latin for ‘impatient’ or ‘not allowing’, and nōlī tangere means ‘do not touch’: literally ‘be unwilling to touch’). As with all the species; the yellow flowers of our native species are followed by pods which forcefully explode when ripe, ejecting the seeds for some distance.
I. noli-tangere is the sole food plant for the endangered Netted Carpet Moth Eustroma reticulatum.
I. glandulifera or Himalayan Balsam on the Dyfi, North Wales (by Matt Summers)
I. glandulifera or Himalayan Balsam
A generally well-known, tall annual herb, sometimes grown in gardens and found naturalized on the banks of rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds, reservoirs and flooded gravel-pits, where it often forms very large continuous stands; also establishing in damp scrub and woodland, mesotrophic grasslands, waste ground, abandoned arable and pasture, and in flushes and mires. Populations increase rapidly to form dense stands in the open and under partial shade. The seeds, which are ejected ballistically from their pods up to 5 m, are dispersed by water and through the movement of soil. The seedlings are killed by frost and this may restrict its distribution at higher altitudes.
Scientific name: Impatiens glandulifera also known under these common names: Himalayan balsam, Indian balsam, jewelweed and Policeman’s helmet. The genus name Impatiens, means “impatient”, and refers to its method of seed dispersal. The species name glandulifera comes from the Latin words glandis meaning ‘gland’, and ferre meaning ‘to bear’, referring to plant bearing glands.
As the name suggest it is native to the Himalayas or to be more specise: N. Pakistan to Nepal. See on this Kew world map where it has spread!
Why is Himalayan Balsam a problem?
Via human introduction it is now present across much of the Northern Hemisphere and is considered an invasive species in many areas.
From ‘Environmental Controls’ UK:
It was brought into Europe in the first half of the 19th century as ornamental and melliferous (honey producing) plant, when some of the plant’s seeds were sent to Kew Gardens (London) in 1839. By 1848 the plant had naturalized and now this species is distributed across most areas of the British Isles and is believed to be one of the most dangerous alien species.
Due to its vigorous growth, Himalayan balsam soon dominates and suffocates all other plants within its vicinity. On riverbanks this can cause major problems of erosion. It is the tallest annual weed in Britain, growing to more than 3 metres in height. Colonisation of riparian areas can cause a deterioration of ecological status under the Water Framework Directive and the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan lists the species as an invasive alien, so many areas have now introduced eradication policies.
With the increased flooding the UK has suffered recently we’ve seen a rise in balsam clusters in areas not previously associated with the plant. It thrives in moist soil hence it has colonised more of the UK’s riverbanks, creeping onto surrounding land. Not having an extensive root system that binds river banks together, and its ability to overtake perennial plants that do have root systems destablises our river banks and leads to flooding.
Seeds can float through flowing water and become attached to vehicles, clothing or footwear. This means that a single plant can have a significant impact on the surrounding habitat, causing an outbreak of Himalayan balsam within a time period of just one year.
An absence of natural predators in the UK enables dense colonies of Himalayan balsam to quickly establish, leading to adverse effects which include:
- Negative impact on invertebrate feeding groups, resulting in a decrease in spider, beetle and bug species.
- Himalayan balsam produces a large amount of nectar, which attracts pollinating insects, possibly to the detriment of native flowering plants.
In Europe, Himalayan balsam has been included since 2017 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that the species cannot be imported, cultivated, transported, commercialized, planted, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.
I can hear all the negative use as copied from Environmental Controls but then I would argue that the plant since it has been introduced in the early 1800s it also has evolved with all the native wildlife. To eradicate it would surely harm that wildlife, especially if there aren’t enough replacement suitable plants?
Now for some positive Uses:
Since I first got introduced to this tall herb as a child I was fascinated by squeezing the swolen fruits to find it exploding in my hands!
Later I enjoyed watching the bumblebees visiting the large flowers in all shades of pink when we had them growing in the garden of our second home my dad built in ‘Holland’.
The plant and flowers are exotic looking and beautiful en masse as can still be seen occasionally when the conservationists haven’t been eradicating them yet!
Edible and Medicinal Uses by PFAF:
The young leaves and shoots can be cooked.
They should not be used on a regular basis: see warning below.
The seeds can be eaten raw and apparently have 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[K]! An edible oil is obtained from the seed.
Warning:
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[K]. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones and hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet.
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’. See here: https://bachcentre.com/en/remedies/the-38-remedies/impatiens/
I. capensis or Orange Balsam (and ‘Jewelweed’)
An annual herb, found naturalized along slow-flowing rivers, canals and reservoirs and adjacent wetlands. It is shade tolerant and plants can have a mixture of flowers that self- and out-cross. The seeds, which are ejected ballistically from their pods, are dispersed by water and can remain viable in the soil for a few years.
I. capensis was introduced to cultivation in 1818 and the first record of it in the wild was from the River Tillingbourne (Surrey) in 1822 where it was considered naturalized by 1884 (Perrins et al., 1993). In Norfolk it first appeared on the tributary of the River Bure near Aylsham in 1927 (Petch & Swann, 1968). It is now rarely grown in gardens but naturalized populations are steadily expanding into semi-natural habitats, where it appears to be far less abundant, and invasive, than I. glandulifera.
The native range of this species is Canada to N., Central & E. U.S.A. Not the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa as the name might suggest!
Wildlife Uses and Pollination:
Nectar spurs are tubular elongations of petals and sepals of certain flowers that usually contain nectar. Flowers of I. capensis have these nectar spurs. Nectar spurs are thought to have played a role in plant-pollinator coevolution. Curvature angles of nectar spurs of I. capensis are variable. This angle varies from 0 degrees to 270 degrees.
In these Isles and other temperate regions bees; especially bumblebees play an important role in pollination. Hummingbirds are major pollinators in other warmer regions!
The young shoots can be boiled (with two changes of water) as a potherb; eating too much is not recommended as the plant contains calcium oxalate crystals. The seeds are also edible, and probably best before exploding!
Along with other species of ‘Jewelweed‘, the juice of the leaves and stems is a traditional Native American remedy for skin rashes, including poison ivy. The effectiveness of its use to prevent the development of a rash after short-term exposure to poison ivy has been supported by peer-reviewed study, and is likely due to the plant containing saponins. These studies also found that some individuals have a sensitivity to ‘Jewelweed’ which can cause a more severe rash.
The stem juice has also been used to treat athlete’s foot; its fungicidal qualities have been scientifically verified.
I. parviflora or Small Balsam plant (byAndré Karwath aka Aka – Wikipedia Commons) + details of flowers and fruit below (‘by myself’ – Wikipedia Commons)
I. parviflora or Small Balsam
An annual herb, found well-naturalized in woodland, plantations (especially along tracks), old pits, shaded river banks and river shingle and as a casual of disturbed ground in urban areas such as waste ground, pathsides, roadside verges and refuse tips.
I. parviflora was introduced into cultivation in 1830. It was first recorded in the wild in 1848 (Liscard, Cheshire). Since then it has increased steadily. It was first recorded in Ireland at the end of the 20th century and there have been a number of additional records made there since then.
The native range of this species is Central Asia to SW. Siberia and Mongolia.
Impatiens parviflora has many uses. If cooked, the leaves are completely edible. The seeds can be consumed either raw or cooked.
Impatiens parviflora is also used as a treatment for warts, ringworm, and nettle stings. As well as a hair rinse to relieve an itchy scal!
I. walleriana or Busy Lizzie
Impatiens walleriana or Busy Lizzie is a herbaceous perennial not usually seen in the wild! It wasn’t listed on the Plant Atlas Online but was found in Kingswinford and entered in the Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country.
The native range of this species is SE. Kenya to S. Tropical Africa. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food most likely in its native habitat. (source Kew)
Cultivation and Ornamental Use:
Although perennial in frost-free growing conditions, it is usually treated as a half-hardy annual in temperate regions (though pot-grown plants can be successfully overwintered indoors). It is one of the most popular of all bedding plants for parks and gardens worldwide, typically grown in containers but also in bedding schemes. Propagation is by seed or stem cuttings.