Above: Impatiens Balfourii in U.W. Arboretum woods next to the Wingra Park parking lot. (8/24/19).
Impatiens Balfourii - (Garden Escapee)
Impatiens Balfourii (Balfour's touch-me-not) is a wildflower native to the Himalayas (particularly Kashmiran ) that, according to Wikipedia, is a "garden escapee" that can be found growing wild in Europe, on the US Pacific Coast, and in Wisconsin where it is well adapted to cool, wet sites.
It is adventive - A term used to describe a species that has arrived by any means in an area to which it is not native; arrival in an area could have been natural (wind, animal, etc.) or mediated by humans (intentional or otherwise).
The flowers are hermaphrodite, or perfect, and are pollinated by insects, or, in the Americas, by hummingbirds. The flowering period extends from July through September.
Other names include: Balfour's touch-me-not, Kashmir balsam, and poor man's orchid.
Impatiens means "impatient" or "intolerant" and refers to the explosive dehiscence of the fruits, which burst at the slightest touch as a means of scattering the seeds. (Hence, touch-me-not).
Above: "Impatiens Balfourii in U.W. Arboretum woods next to the Wingra Park parking lot on July 30, 2019.
For more information on Impatiens Balfourii, visit Wikipedia.
Or, visit the UW-Madison Wisconsin State Herbarium website page about Impatiens Balfourii.
Impatiens Balfourii
Garden Escapee
Above: Impatiens Balfourii in U.W. Arboretum woods next to the Wingra Park parking lot in Madison, Wisconsin. (7/29/19)
Above: Impatiens Balfourii in U.W. Arboretum woods next to the Wingra Park parking lot in Madison, Wisconsin. (7/31/19)
Above: Impatiens Balfourii in U.W. Arboretum woods next to the Wingra Park parking lot in Madison, Wisconsin. (9/27/19)