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MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => PHOTO PAGE - MEMBER PHOTOS & BEE-MOVIES HERE! => Topic started by: Cindi on November 24, 2006, 10:59:30 am

Title: Bees love impatiens capensis
Post by: Cindi on November 24, 2006, 10:59:30 am
We have a beautiful annual that grows prolifically on our wet southwest coast.  The bees go nuts on this from about August until frost or cold weather kills it down come the middle of October.  It is a great fall nectar and pollen plant.  It is very cool to watch the bees enter the flower and come out all happy.  LOL.  It likes to grow in mucky, wet soil, in shadey spots.  It started years ago along the edge of the top of our ravine and has migrated quickly thoughout the years to behind the horse barns, where I think it will stop, because the shadiness stops there.  It grows about 5 feet tall, is very succulent with hollow stems.  It is a very tricky plant to try and get seed from, if anyone has ever tried to save seed from any type of impatiens, the moment you come near to touch it it flies out probably about 10 feet, never to be had again.  But I have discovered a way to trick the plant, so I have gathered seed and will try to get it to the back of my property where again it is shadey and mucky.  We will see.  The more late season that can be provided for the girls, certainly the better.  Does wild impatiens grow anywhere else, I'm sure it does, but I would be interested to hear.  Great day. Cindi

(http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/6858/capensis1co3.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/9726/capensis2yy4.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
(http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/8306/capensis3vf6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: Bees love impatiens capensis
Post by: nepenthes on November 24, 2006, 11:56:16 am
Grows all the way from Ohio To New York, I couldn't never remember what the plant was called, but Its an awesome plant.
Title: Re: Bees love impatiens capensis
Post by: Cindi on November 24, 2006, 12:13:55 pm
Grows all the way from Ohio To New York, I couldn't never remember what the plant was called, but Its an awesome plant.

Ah, rats!! And I thought that we had a plant that only grows here (LOL).  There is also one that is called "impatiens grandulafera", grows even taller, same flowers, but pretty pink, I am going to trade some of my species with a woman in another area, across the river from me, she wants capensis and I want grandulifera, can't wait for spring.  The winter solstace is only less than a month away now!! Hurray.  Great day. Cindi
Title: Re: Bees love impatiens capensis
Post by: Archie on November 24, 2006, 08:03:21 pm
Hi,

these flowers grow all over the place.  we have a yellow one too.  my mom always called them "touch me not" because the seed pod would explode when you touched them;

Archie