Hello, I love this flower but I don't know what it's called. It grows 6 feet tall with the most beautiful delicate blossom on the banks of Bear Creek in Surrey BC. I have attached a picture. Please include the common name because the latin is all greek to me :-) Katy, wildflower lover in Surrey, BC
Impatiens roylei, Indian balsam, gets invasive here. Started showing along a stream here and within 3 years had spread about 1.5 mile along the road. Maybe spread by the mower trimming the roadsides.
Thank you very much for solving this mystery for me. Here is some more info on this beautiful wildflower: Himalayan or Indian balsam was introduced to British gardens from the Himalayas in 1839 and since then has become widely naturalised. This elegant plant is the tallest annual in Britain, growing up to 2 meters in height. The stems are reddish in colour and bear long, dark green lance-shaped leaves with toothed edges. The large brightly coloured flowers are variable shades of purplish-pink, and occasionally white. Their appearance has led to the alternative name of ‘poor man’s orchid’. Another charming local name, ‘bee-bums’ has arisen as it is just the back end of a bee that can be seen when it visits a flower of this plant. http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Impatiens_glandulifera/
Yes a synonym of I. glandulifera. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?317838 ITIS and RHS Plant Finder will also return I. glandulifera for a search for I. roylei.
