jumping jack

Our tallest annual commonly known as Malaysian Balsam was brought here from the Himalayan foothills in the 1800’s, although a non-native, its flowers are adorned by bees. I dearly love to listen to their pulsing sounds as they harvest the white pollen in their baskets. However, the weight of their harvest would sometimes impede their flight and they would succumb to the waiting mouths of the hungry toads beneath.

The sound of the busy bees inside the blooms resembles that of the pulsing sound of the throats of the waiting toads. Within sixty years the plant had become naturalised in many areas, having escaped from the protection of the greenhouses from where it was cultivated.

It was to become free and wild along the riverbanks and become difficult to eradicate. Everything wild however, is a hundred times stronger than anything tame. Each seed capsule is under high tension and contains between four and twelve seeds. The capsule curls back to release its seeds which can fire up to 1.8 meters away, hence its name ‘Jumping Jack’. Each plant can produce as many as 800 seeds thus ensuring the success of the next generation. The ‘sappy’ stalks of the balsam crunch loudly when squeezed, their bruised stalks releasing a cloud of antiseptic fragrance. Could it be that this pungent aroma is a defence mechanism to ward off other colonizing plants?

Did you know that this plant is related to the Impatiens family commonly known as the Busy Lizzy and is used by herbalists as a mood remedy. It can grow up to 1.8 meters in height, producing both pale mauve and reddish crimson flowers however, only the red flowers are used to relieve tension, helping you to become patient towards the views of others and relieving your negative state, thus helping you to think with your heart.