On my walks, I have seen a lovely little plant with wildly red stems (not woody). That's what made me stop and look. It is currently blooming with a few blush-coloured (whitish-pink) pea-like flowers. The leaves along the stems are smalling and whorled. The red stem is fleshy, a bit like rhubarb, but thinner. It looks like it is a perennial. Can anyone identify this plant for me?
Hmm! Is it someones garden or growing wild in the countyside? So many questions!!! All would probably be answered if you could add a pic to this thread.
I am in Vancouver and so is the plant, in someone's nicely tended garden (I haven't seen the gardener). It is growing in full sun. Here are some pics, but it was so sunny, it was hard to see if I was getting a decent shot.
It sure looks like Impatiens glandulifera or Policemans Helmet aka Poor Man's Orchid, or Touch-me-not. It will spit seeds up to 20 ft when you touch the ripe seed pods so can really get spread around the garden, but is easily pulled up. It's listed as a Noxious weed here in Washington. A pretty flower until you find something better or get tired of pulling it out. ;))) barb
In Britain is is taking over. All along river banks and in road side verges. It is a weed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_Balsam
Thanks both of you. As it appears to be a weed of some sort, I'll leave it in the other person's garden. It's pretty, though.
