Impatiens noli-tangere Touch-me-not Balsam RR D N
Although this annual, native plant is a national rarity, seeds taken from the wild have been planted in gardens from which it has escaped into local woods in Lancashire. It can be locally quite abundant too. As with other Balsams, the ripe seed pods explode when touched hence the species name: noli-tangere (do not touch).
It is found dotted around England, often as a casual escape like this one, and is more common in the north west than the south of the country. It is found in a few places in Wales and in southern Scotland but it is absent from Ireland.
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| Impatiens noli-tangere Touch-me-not Balsam |
Sunnyhurst Woods, Darwen, Lancashire 27th July 2011
Added on August 14th 2015