Q. My friend says there is no such plant as ‘Impatiens Grandelifera’. Also, called ‘policemens helmets’. I discovered them 9 years ago. Thinking they were weeds I pulled a few, took them to the master Gardner at Lakewold Gardens. She had just received seeds from a friend. They grow to 5 ft. tall with pink blossoms resembling snapdragons. In the fall pods form from the blossoms and when ripe explode, scattering the seed for the following spring. Can you find any info on this? Is this the correct name? Your help is appreciated. Thanks, Ruth Offutt – University Place
A. Perhaps your friend is a stickler for spelling since I have seen this species also written as I. grandulifera but I believe the proper Latin binomial is I. glandulifera. Policeman’s Helmet is a common name for this herbaceous annual from India and the western Himalayas. They prefer moist sites and have the capacity to grow up to 10 feet tall and eject their seeds as far as 20 feet. As pretty as they are the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board lists them as a Class B Weed so I would not suggest planting them or sharing seeds. For more information about this plant see the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board website: http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Impatiens_glandulifera.html