This plant and its yellow-flowered relative are also known as Jewelweed, because water droplets on its leaves shine like tiny jewels. It favors wet areas where the ground retains moisture.
Touch-me-not’s stem is nearly translucent and contains a sap that can be used to soothe the effects of Poison Ivy and Stinging Nettle. Its ripe, long banana-shaped seed pods explode when touched, expelling its seeds in all directions. This characteristic, along with the dark spots on its flowers, give the Spotted Touch-me-not its common name.
This flower is an important nectar plant for hummingbirds. If you scrape off the dark brown covering of ripe seeds, a sky blue seed awaits underneath.
