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ID Of Tall 'Orchid' Plant Please

Posted by avalonON z5 ON Canada (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 11, 05 at 15:25

Found in our shady urban garden:

- Plant is 4' tall with fleshy red protrusions off the thick stem at ground level
- Since the beginning of August has been bearing profuse quantities of pale purple orchid-shaped blooms
- has seed pods that burst when touched and contain 4 dark-brown seeds a little smaller than those of morning-glories

Is is a Helleborine? Can it be grown from seed? We are moving from a sheltered woodland location with rich loamy soil to a sunny, windy area with limestone soil. Will it survive in the new conditions if I transplant it or sow seeds?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Have photos but don't know how to send them with a posting.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: ID Of Tall 'Orchid' Plant Please

Not an orchid. You've got one of the weedy Impatiens, Impatiens glandulifera ("himalayan balsam", "indiana balsam", among other names) or Impatiens balsamina ("balsam"). They grow easily from seed, but are invasive weeds in many areas, both difficult to control in gardens and a potential threat when they escape into the wild (Impatiens glandulifera is banned in Connecticut & Washington in the US for this reason).

Patrick Alexander


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RE: ID Of Tall 'Orchid' Plant Please

Thank-you Patrick for the correct ID. I looked it up on some Internet sites and all warn of its invasiveness. Beautiful but.....


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