What Is a Jewel Weed?

Identification

• Jewelweed grows between 2 and 5 feet high, with fragile stems and green leaves as long as 5 inches. The flowers look like tiny cornucopias, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. They emerge on thin stalks from June through September, dangling from the plant. Flowers are orange or a yellow shade of orange, with a flecking of red-brown spots. The flowers yield a seed capsule that, when ripe, opens up and disperses the seeds at even the slightest touch.

Geography

• In Canada, jewelweed grows from Alberta eastward to Newfoundland. The species exists throughout the East, as far south as Florida. The western range of jewelweed extends into Texas, notes the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers: Eastern Region." Jewelweed also grows in parts of the Pacific Northwest. Commonly found in damp locations in woodlands, jewelweed grows in wetlands as well, where it can form colonies that spread over a large area.

Growing Conditions

• Shady sites support the growth of jewelweed, but it also does well in sunny locations. The plant survives even when its roots are underwater during floods for periods as long as two weeks, notes the Illinois Wildflowers website. Jewelweed performs best in damp, humusy ground. Jewelweed bounces back from repeated mowing.

Uses

• Take advantage of jewelweed's preference for moist areas by planting it in those low-lying places on your property that never seem to fully dry out. Use it as a ground cover near ponds and swamps. Jewelweed works well in shade gardens and in native plant gardens. Hummingbirds will visit the flowers, especially the ruby-throated species. Bumblebees and honeybees also flock to jewelweed flowers. Native Americans used the sap they procured from the foliage and stems to relieve itching associated with exposure to poison ivy, bug bites and stinging nettles.