General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Plant Height: 120 - 180 cm
Plant Spread: 60 cm
Leaves: Unusual foliage color
Fruit: Dehiscent
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Pink
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Uses: Medicinal Herb
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Propagation: Seeds: Stratify seeds: 6 weeks if you sow indoors
Depth to plant seed: 0.3 cm
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Pollinators: Bees

Image
Common names
  • Himalayan Balsam
  • Jewelweed
  • Indian Balsam
  • Policeman's Helmet
  • Ornamental Jewelweed

Photo Gallery
Location: Canada
Location: Morpeth, Northumberland UK
Date: 2023-08-30
Location: All pictures taken in/on my gardens/greenhouse/property
Date: 2017-08-10
Location: Hortus Lapidarius
Date: 2023-07-20
Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2017-06-02
Location: Hortus Lapidarius
Date: 2023-07-19
Stipules. They look like glands, hence the scientific name glandu
Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2017-06-02
Location: Stamford CT
Location: Northeastern Indiana - Zone 5b
Date: 2014-06-29
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-08-13
Location: Stamford CT
Date: August
reseeded for a few years
Location: The Famberhorst Nature Reserve
Credit: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-03-29
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2011-09-20
Makes air roots at the base of the stem, maybe to get a better ho
Location: My garden
Date: 2014 June
Died by July - was it our hot, humid Maryland summer?
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-10-20
Photo by skopjecollection
Location: My Garden
Date: 2012-09-13
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2008-07-30
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2008-10-02
Location: My Garden Crescent City, California
Date: 2016-02-23
Will Naturalize?   LOL....oh, yeah....
Location: My Garden Crescent City, California
Date: 2016-02-23
If you hear that it "may be invasive"....these are seedlings dire
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2011-08-27
Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-08-25
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-09-28
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-10-20
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2008-07-30
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-08-13
Location: Nature Reserve Gent, Belgium
Date: 2007-08-24
Location: My front garden inToronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Mid Summer
Nasty  beast, Do Not Bring It Home, It Takes Over.
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-10-20
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-09-28
Irresistible for bees! :-)
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-08-09
Location: Grand-Falls, N.B. Canada
Date: 2012-08-10
The stem
Location: Grand-Falls, N.B. Canada
Date: 2012-08-10
  It was found growing in the ditch
Comments:
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on May 9, 2012 4:45 PM concerning plant:
    Valuable source of nectar and pollen for honey bees.
  • Posted by Ziggy (N.B. Canada - Zone 3b) on Aug 15, 2012 8:11 AM concerning plant:
    Very pretty flower that attracts hummingbirds.
  • Posted by CarolineScott (Calgary - Zone 4a) on Aug 15, 2012 8:51 AM concerning plant:
    Himalayan Balsam is on Alberta's list of noxious weeds.

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