I know I'm a weed, but I'm so PRETTY!

[LocoYokel]

Yep, it's a weed! Beautiful orchid-like flowers on a hollow stalk. When I grow them in full sun they get about 3 feet tall and the stalk is very red, in my shade corner they can get 9'+ and the base of the stem can be as big around as my wrist. The roots seem to crown above ground and they blow over pretty easy when they get big. Very noticeable joints on the stems. The seed pod is eggplant shaped and striped, when mature they POP. broadcasting seed up to 7' away. They are really fun to 'pop' in your fingers!
Hundreds come up but I just pull the weaker (juicy compost) or transplant to a bare spot. The ones that come up in the lawn disappear after a couple mows.
I keep growing them because they are easily controlled and the bumblers and honeybees just LOVE them...besides, they are so pretty!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

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

 

[LocoYokel]

Thanks @Pulsegleaner, that sure seems to be it!
Mine is white with pink to purple/black speckles, now I want more colors...

 

[baymule]

As long as you keep it contained. Before I plant anything here, I look it up to make sure I am not unleashing a monster. LOL

@Pulsegleaner I am amazed by the depth of your knowledge. Do you have a degree in horticulture or are you just brilliant?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Yep, I have a bachelor in Plant Science from Cornell. Though this one wasn't hard. It looked sort of like Jewelweed, except for the color (the explosive pods were a big tipoff). I remembered that there was something called Himalayan Balsam that was sort of like Jewelweed but pinkish, so I plugged it into Wikipedia and got a match.

Actually, I wonder if this can do like Jewelweed can do, that is, that the mashed up leaves and stem can be used to deal with things like poison ivy itch and bee and nettle stings.

 

[Nyboy]

I have a big patch of jewelweed at kennel. The phone repairman turned me on to it. Some telephone poles are buried in PI, he said works better then store bought ointments.

 

[digitS']

Cornell has had so much information for me through the years; it's good to see that you are continuing that tradition, @Pulsegleaner .

Oh yes, from "allaboutbirds" to horticultural ... I should get back on "Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners" webpages and contribute a few thoughts. I've never known what the administration thinks of someone from outside of NY adding something there but I haven't been the only one and there wasn't any deletions ... there has been a guy from Georgia who has been an contributor for many years. An important contributor, to my way of thinking ...

Different weeds in different locations: I'm not sure if I want that pretty weed showing up in my garden, Loco. @Nyboy talked awhile back about Japanese knotweed. (Probably comes from Long Island and not across the Pacific .) Knotweed isn't much of a problem, I think. It grows in the cracks in the asphalt street and on playgrounds ... then! I learn the species he was talking about grows as tall as bamboo ..!!!

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

Still fighting it, like a cat with 9 lives

 

[baymule]

@Pulsegleaner so you have bachelor in Plant Science from Cornell AND you are brilliant!

 

[LocoYokel]

I have a big patch of jewelweed at kennel.

What color is it? Can I get some seed, please?

Different weeds in different locations: I'm not sure if I want that pretty weed showing up in my garden, Loco.

I would hate to have it "get loose" in a larger area such as pasture or along a creek but it seems to work for me in the one area I let it grow. All the others that get transplanted around the yard have a hard time reseeding, those are "high weeding traffic" areas and they are very easy to identify before flowering. It has a shallow root system which helps immensely!
My new weed that seems to be over-propagating is nightshade, I had no clue what that pretty little shooting star shaped purple flower was, just a semi-vine that showed up one day a few years ago so I let it be... I think it was you @digitS' that mentioned having a bank of it that you were off to mow down so I googled it, yep, deadly nightshade! Only the one plant for 3 years but now this year it has popped up in several other places. Off to eradicate I go, hi ho, hi hoe.