Indian Balsam
Latin name
Impatiens glandulifera
Family
Balsaminaceae
Other names
Himalayan Balsam, Policeman’s Helmet
Flowering season
June to October
English distribution
It is found throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for Indian Balsam
Habitat
It is found on wasteland and by paths and tracks, but
mostly it colonises wet places and the banks of
streams, rivers and canals.
It is a neophyte and has been a naturalised garden escape
since the 1850s.
It has spread extensively in the last 50 years.
Description
Indian Balsam is an annual, showy herb, growing to 2m or
more.
The flowers are fragrant and attractive, usually pink and
purple and sometimes white.
Leaves are dark green, lanceolate and toothed.
The seed pods form attractive dangly candalabras. They
explode to spread the seeds over several meters.
An alien invasion
Indian Balsam is classed as an alien, invasive and
aggressive weed, It is illegal to plant it and many areas
have eradication programmes.
Indian Balsam is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981 with respect to England, Wales and Scotland.
As such it is an offence to plant of otherwise cause it to grow in the
wild. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Indian Balsam
is classified as controlled waste. For details of legislation go to
www.nonnativespecies.org/legislation.
Control and management of invasive alien (non-native)
plants is under the auspices of a Defra committee - NSSS
(GB Non-native Species Secretariat).
For details for Indian Balsam, click on the link.
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Indian Balsam stand
Flowers with leaves
Single flower
Seed pod
Opened pod with immature seeds
Uncurled elements of opened pod
Lower leaves
Stems
Seedlings