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Balsam

Timothy Norton

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 year ago

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Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) is also known as garden balsam, rose balsam, touch-me-not and spotted snapweed.

Balsam is an annual flower originating from India/Myanmar. Besides the beautiful flowers, the plant produces seed pods that 'snap' at the slightest of concussive force sending seeds flying out of the pod in all directions. The plant's leaves have been used for a form of nail dying in some cultures. The plant is reported to have medicinal properties ranging from treating snakebites to digestive issues.

In my experience, it was an easy germinating plant that transplanted well. I planted my plants in a raised bed under semi-shaded conditions and they flourished growing almost three feet fall. I received a few rounds of seed pod production in zone 5B making the job of saving seed a little bit easier. The pods take a little time to get used to in order to gather seed in a reasonable time frame but they do fight you a bit. If you aren't careful, the seed pods snap and send seeds across your kitchen table.

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May Lotito

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Location: Zone 6b

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posted 1 year ago

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Balsam is one of my favorite flowers too. It's very easy to grow and self seed readily. It also comes in other colors like white, red, fuchsia and purple. In the past, people smashed the petals and used the colored juice as nail polish. In my garden, the blossoms attract many pollinators including bumble bee and hummingbird.

IMG_20240922_221330.jpg

Zone 6, 45 inches precipitation, hard clay soil

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Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

Posts: 8063

Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 year ago

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I was wondering how well the seeds might fair over the winter.

I have purposely saved some seeds, but I know plenty have been spread naturally so we will see next year. The plants I put in this prior growing season were started inside and that was a breeze. They transplanted well to boot.

Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 year ago

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Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

Posts: 8063

Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 10 months ago

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I would like to report that balsam seeds are super easy to save and plant the next year!

I was not 'nice' to my seeds, I simply spread them out by hand to contact the top of the soil and let them figure out survival from there. I had plenty of plants come up and another generation of seeds to pull from.

Something that I found interesting is that balsam is resilient enough to be able to germinate and grow through mulch. I had a few plants pop up in my wood chipped pathways that must of been volunteers from the prior year.

Judith Browning

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Location: a temperate, clay/loam spot on planet earth, the universe

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posted 10 months ago

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I grew this for the first time this year (thanks to May!).
planted late and in poor soil but I'm still getting blooms and starting to see some seed pods.

When do I pick the seed pods? They are still green.

I love the flowers!!!

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 10 months ago

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Judith Browning wrote: When do I pick the seed pods? They are still green.

I by no means have any evidence to back up the effectiveness of my technique, but I poked a few pods to see if they would pop open. If I can get one or two to pop open, I will harvest pods to bring inside. I left them laying on a cloth to naturally open up but that made a mess. You might be able to control the opening of them to harvest the seeds in a neater way? The explosive nature of how their seed pod works is fascinating.

Judith Browning

Posts: 10620

Location: a temperate, clay/loam spot on planet earth, the universe

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posted 1 week ago

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I am watching my plants as there are many big pale yellowish green seed pods...none are popping open yet but the seeds inside the pods I checked are brown and hard....time to gather seed? too early?

I have noticed they are a thirsty plant and I did not water them so some look pretty stressed but come back ok when it rains. Some plants though, in a different area, are quite large planted in with my sweet potatoes and flax, still receiving no water but rain.

IMG_20260725_102549_636-2.jpg

IMG_20260725_102605_085-2.jpg

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

Posts: 8063

Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 week ago

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Judith Browning wrote:I am watching my plants as there are many big pale yellowish green seed pods...none are popping open yet but the seeds inside the pods I checked are brown and hard....time to gather seed? too early?

I harvested the pods last year when I noticed the first few had popped. The seed pod flings the seeds with some force so waiting for them to open might lead to fewer seeds. I had really good germination, if the seeds are brown and hard I probably would harvest them now if it was convenient.

You have a beautiful space there, love the photos. My balsam is generally the same color as yours except this year I had a few pale pink ones pop up.

Judith Browning

Posts: 10620

Location: a temperate, clay/loam spot on planet earth, the universe

3786

posted 1 week ago

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Thanks Timothy!
I think I'll start picking a bit of seed and try to sort by color.

In another area there is a more purplish one and a couple other darker shades if pink....mostly that one pink though...seems like I had a white one somewhere also?

I used to think my zinnia seed all reverted to pink after a season or two...or that pale beige pink color.
I'm going to save some of the purple zinnia seed in that same photo with the balsam and see if I get more purple. They were grown from free seed from Baker Creek.

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Douglas Alpenstock

master pollinator

Posts: 5922

Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

1747

posted 1 week ago

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Respectfully suggest you folks be a bit careful. Himalayan Balsam/Impatiens is listed as an invasive prohibited species in some jurisdictions. With reason.

I have grown it in controlled circumstances in my garden and it is amazing. Some people don't have a clue what it is in their gardens. But ... its enthusiasm knows no bounds. If it escapes into natural areas it is aggressive and can displace native species.

So kindly keep it on a leash.

Judith Browning

Posts: 10620

Location: a temperate, clay/loam spot on planet earth, the universe

3786

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Thanks for the heads up Douglas.
I'm not too worried here as I had some die from a short period without rain and here, anyway, these plants winter kill. I understand your concern although I think it might be site and climate specific?

Of all the 'invasives' in my neighborhood it might worry me least since it is an annual here.
Dealing with perinnial bittersweet, vinca, bermuda grass, english ivy, bind weed....maybe perilla might be comparable to balsams spread for us?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_balsamina

It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, and has become naturalised and invasive on several Pacific Ocean islands.

...but then, I grow the viable seeded comfrey so my view is probably skewed😊

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

May Lotito

gardener

Posts: 2273

Location: Zone 6b

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posted 1 week ago

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In my poor and acidic soil, balsam can grow amazingly the first year if I amend the soil, and set lots of seeds. Then the volunteers would be yellow and tiny in the same spot next year. I am intentionally scattering the seeds everywhere to map the soil fertility. In rich soil a single plant can be huge. If I don't want them to take over, just chop and drop.

20260808_082842.jpg

Zone 6, 45 inches precipitation, hard clay soil

Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

Posts: 8063

Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 1 week ago

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Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Respectfully suggest you folks be a bit careful. Himalayan Balsam/Impatiens is listed as an invasive prohibited species in some jurisdictions. With reason.

I have grown it in controlled circumstances in my garden and it is amazing. Some people don't have a clue what it is in their gardens. But ... its enthusiasm knows no bounds. If it escapes into natural areas it is aggressive and can displace native species.

So kindly keep it on a leash.

Good point Douglas! It is important to know how plants may behave in one's own specific growing region or else a future headache might arise.

I should specify that I have only grown Garden Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) and not Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). I suppose Garden Balsam can also be considered 'invasive' in some climates still as Judith points out.

Douglas Alpenstock

master pollinator

Posts: 5922

Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

1747

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Timothy Norton wrote:I should specify that I have only grownGarden Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) and not Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).

Ah! Apologies, I missed that.

I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com