How Does Impatiens Spread Its Seeds? A Detailed Explanation of Its Dispersal Method

The scientific name of the impatiens is Impatiens balsamina; because its flower head, wings, tail, and feet all curl upward like a phoenix, it is also called the golden phoenix flower. Do you know how the impatiens spreads its seeds?

1. How does the impatiens spread its seeds?

The impatiens spreads its seeds by “self-reliance.” When its fruit splits open, the pericarp curls inward and then suddenly stretches outward, ejecting the seeds.

2. The ornamental value of the impatiens

It is widely cultivated in gardens across China and is a common ornamental flower.

The impatiens, like a crane's crest or a colorful phoenix, has a graceful posture and is charming and delightful. The fragrant and gaudy red impatiens and the delicate jade-green impatiens both open in the morning, which is the best time to admire them. Because its flower colors and varieties are extremely rich, the impatiens is a commonly used material for beautifying flower beds and flower borders; it can be planted in clumps, in groups, and in pots, and can also be used as a cut flower for water culture.

3. The edible value of the impatiens

The impatiens is cultivated in all provinces north and south in China. When people boil meat or stew fish, they add a few impatiens seeds, making the meat easy to soften and the bones easy to tenderize, with a distinctive flavor. The tender leaves of the impatiens can be blanched in water and then eaten as a cold dish with oil and salt.

4. The uses of the impatiens

1. Dyeing effect

In India, the Middle East, and other places it is called HENAA, and it naturally contains a reddish-brown pigment. People in the Middle East began cultivating this plant very early, using its sap to dye their nails and adorn themselves. According to records, Cleopatra used the impatiens to dye her hair. The famous Indian body painting also uses it as a dye. [9]

2. Snake-repelling effect

According to news reports: Huang Yongzhao, a researcher at the Chongqing Natural History Museum and an expert on amphibians and reptiles in China, introduced that the impatiens can also repel snakes.

The impatiens comes in a variety of colors, including pink, bright red, purple, and pink-purple. The petals or leaves are mashed and wrapped on the nails with tree leaves, and they can dye the nails a vivid red, very beautiful, and greatly loved by girls.