Impatiens balfourii (Balfour's touch-me-not, "Hanatsurifuneso")

Japanese name: ハナツリフネソウ （花釣舟草）
Scientific name: Impatiens balfourii

[Overview]
An annual 15–120 cm tall.
In its native range it is found in moist places along rivers and roadsides.
The stem is succulent, tinged with reddish purple, much branched and hairless.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic to lanceolate and about 4 cm long, with sharp serrations on the margins.
There are leaf stalks.
Racemes arise from the leaf axils and bear 4–8 flowers.
The axis of the inflorescence and the flower stalks are often tinged with reddish purple.
The flowers are tubular, 2 cm long, with a white tube and a reddish-purple lip.
There are yellow spots inside the flower.
Behind the flower is a spur that stores nectar, about 1.5 cm long, with a tip that does not curl.
The fruit is a spindle-shaped capsule 2 cm long; when a ripe fruit is touched, it splits open and scatters the seeds.

[History]
It was confirmed in Sapporo in 1998 and has become naturalized in cool regions.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, sown immediately after harvest.
It also spreads readily by self-sown seed.
It prefers partial shade and soil that is well drained, moisture-retentive and moderately moist.
When planting in the ground, it is best planted under deciduous trees.
When watering, take care not to let it dry out, and water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
In spring and after flowering, as fertilizer after flowering, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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