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Impatiens balfourii

Balfour's Touch-me-not · Balfour's Jewelweed · Balfour's Impatiens

Family BalsaminaceaeGenus Impatiens

Hooded pink and white spurred flowers hanging on fine stalks among toothed green leaves
FlowerJoan SimonCC BY-SA 2.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
annualPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
White, pink, yellowFlora of Pakistan
Native range
Pakistan, West HimalayaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of Pakistan — S. I. Ali and M. Qaiser (eds.); GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Impatiens means "impatient", for the fruits, which burst at the slightest touch and scatter their seeds. Balfourii honors the Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour. Its common names include Kashmir balsam and poor man's orchid. Wikipedia: Impatiens balfourii

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

Germination happens during step 1, in 70 days.

100% germination in 70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39Public domain
Show the original text
Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). I. balfouri germ. 40(100% in 10th w) and 70D-40(80% in 11th w). Light had no effect and GA-3 led to totai rotting of the seeds. Germination has been reported to be difficult, but the above results indicate that it is simply a matter of not recognizing a 40 germinator.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 20, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 77 days.

80% germination in 77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39Public domain
Show the original text
Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). I. balfouri germ. 40(100% in 10th w) and 70D-40(80% in 11th w). Light had no effect and GA-3 led to totai rotting of the seeds. Germination has been reported to be difficult, but the above results indicate that it is simply a matter of not recognizing a 40 germinator.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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