• Skip to main content
Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District Logo
  • Our Priorities
    • Clean Water
    • Healthy Soil
    • Food & Farms
    • Thriving Habitat
    • Invasive Species Management
    • Resilient Forests
  • Our Programs
    • Rural Conservation
    • Urban Conservation
    • Forest Conservation
    • Habitat Conservation
    • Invasive Species
    • Conservation Education
    • Grants & Funding
  • Get Involved
  • Stay Informed
  • Subscribe
  • Our Story
  • Search
Home / Weed & Pest Directory / Species / Balfour’s Balsam (Impatiens balfourii)

Balfour’s Balsam (Impatiens balfourii)

SWCD Branded Separator
Balfour's balsam's flowers have fused petals and a long spur coming out the back.
  • Balfour's balsam flowers.
    Balfour's balsam's flowers have fused petals and a long spur coming out the back.
  • Balfour's balsam leaves and flowers.
  • Balfour's balsam leaves.
  • Balfour's balsam plants.

Also known as: Balfour’s touch-me-not, poor man’s orchid, Kashmir balsam

Balfour’s balsam is commonly planted in gardens as an ornamental. Its pretty flowers and easy maintenance make it a popular plant for shady, wet areas. However, it can quickly escape gardens and infest wetlands throughout the watershed.

Description:

Life Cycle:Perennial (life cycle lasts more than one year)
Early Detection and Rapid Response species:Yes
Height:1 to 2.5 feet (30 – 75 centimeters)
Leaf Description:Lance-shaped leaves have toothed edges and are arranged alternately along the stem.
Fruit & Flower Description:Showy flowers are pinkish purple. They form seed pods that can launch seeds up to 20 feet (6 meters) when touched.
Bloom Time:July to September

Habitat:

  • Balfour’s balsam is commonly found in forest understory, riparian areasAreas that are directly adjacent to flowing streams, creeks, or rivers., wetlands, and grasslands.
  • It prefers shady areas with damp to wet soil conditions.

Impact:

  • Balfour’s balsam can quickly colonize riparian areas, outcompeting native plants for light, nutrients, soil, and space.
  • The shallow root system does not hold soil intact and can cause erosion along stream banks and rivers.

What you can do about it:

  • If you think you’ve found Balfour’s balsam in Washington County, please report it to the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline.
  • Hand pulling small patches of Balfour’s balsam is an effective way to treat it. This is best done in the spring before it forms flowers and seeds pods. Make sure to throw away any plant material in a plastic bag in the trash—not your yard waste bin or home compost.

Look-alikes:

Balfour’s balsam is often confused with a couple of other invasive weeds, policeman’s helmet (Impatiens glandulifera) and spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). The way to distinguish these species is by closely examining their flowers. Spotted jewelweeds flowers are orange, not pinkish purple like Balfour’s balsam. When in bloom, policeman’s helmet has a small spur behind it’s petals, while Balfour’s balsam has a long, straight spur.

Noxious Weed Listing:

State of Oregon:Not Listed
State of Washington:Not Listed

More Resources:

Download the Balfour’s Balsam Best Management Practices Factsheet

Download Factsheet

« Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) »

Posted In:

EDRRPlant
SWCD Branded Separator

Share:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Email
Subscribe News Icon

Email me about caring for the soil and water!

Get Involved Icon

Find an Event

Calendar of Events
Upcoming Workshops

reflection in a lake

About Us

  • Our Story
  • Our Watershed
  • Our Staff
  • Our Board
  • Careers
  • Reports & Publications

Resources

  • Event Calendar
  • Weed & Pest Directory
  • Library & Videos
  • Tool Loan Program
  • News

Contact Us

Tualatin Soil and Water
Conservation District
7175 NE Evergreen Pkwy #400
Hillsboro, OR. 97124

Phone: 503-334-2288
Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm
Email Us

Follow Us

العربية العربية 简体中文 简体中文 繁體中文 繁體中文 English English Filipino Filipino Français Français Deutsch Deutsch हिन्दी हिन्दी 한국어 한국어 Русский Русский Español Español Tiếng Việt Tiếng Việt

© 2021 Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District. All Rights Reserved. | Sitemap | Non-Discrimination Policy | Privacy Policy | Website Design by Hoopla Creative