Does Jewelweed Grow in Northwest Pennsylvania?

Jewelweed Description

• Jewelweed can grow up to 5 feet tall, with freckled and spurred 1-inch-long orange flowers that resemble miniature cornucopias. Its fleshy, toothed leaves can burgeon to 4 or 5 inches long and are waterproof, so raindrops or dewdrops gather on their surfaces. The glitter of those drops explains the gem reference in the name. A type with similar but yellow flowers is known as pale jewelweed (Impatiens pallida). In northwest Pennsylvania, the jewelweeds generally bloom from midsummer to early autumn.

Jewelweed Habitat

• This wildflower prefers damp and partly shaded conditions with humus-rich soil, so it is often found growing at the edges of forests or on the banks of lakes or streams. It will sometimes also spring up in constantly moist ground on the shady sides of buildings. Although it does best in forest-rich regions with plenty of rainfall -- like Pennsylvania -- jewelweed can be found in almost every part of the U. S. with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii and some of the drier western states.

Jewelweed Reproduction

• Jewelweed actually has a backup plan, in case those "spring-loaded" pods miss their mark. It also produces small green buds that never open, and pollinate themselves. These can quietly drop their seeds next to the stem of the parent plant, even if there are no insect pollinators available. Jewelweed seeds are somewhat tricky to germinate indoors. If you wish to try, give them two months of damp refrigeration, followed by two months of damp warmth, followed by another two months in the fridge. After this feeble imitation of two Pennsylvania winters, the seeds may sprout if sown on the surface of soil in warm conditions.

Jewelweed Control

• Because it is attractive to hummingbirds and children, who love to pop its pods, jewelweed is frequently added to wildflower or shade gardens. It can spread rapidly, however, because of all those seeds. Fortunately, the plant has shallow roots and is easy to pull from places where it isn't wanted. That may not solve the problem -- seeds already in the ground can germinate years later. Covering the soil with a thick mulch may help suppress them, because impatiens seeds require light to sprout.