Officials have discovered a highly invasive plant spreading in the Midwest and issued a warning.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued an alert over the discovery of “invasive purple jewelweed,” also known as Himalayan balsam. According to the department, the plant isn’t common in Michigan, but has been detected in some parts of the Lower Peninsula, marking what has become the only active population in the lower portions of the state.
The discovery was made in Kalamzoo Park by landscape coordinator Hannah Whiteman.
Whiteman said she noticed the “unusual plant” last year and took some images.
Hannah Whiteman, landscape coordinator at Kzoo Parks, encountered the plant last year, independent of the citizen report.
“I knew right away this was an unusual plant, so I took some photos,” Whiteman said. “It wasn’t until winter that I took a tutorial on the [Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s] MISIN Learn platform and used my photos to determine the plant was invasive purple jewelweed.”
The plants were mowed by the time summer arrived, but then in July, the invasive plant resurfaced.
Purple jewelweed is an annual plant that can grow up to 6 feet tall, sometimes even as high as 10 feet, with green, purple or red stems.
“Leaves are long and narrow with serrated edges. Ripe fruit capsules explode when touched,” the DNR in Michigan reported.
Orchid-shaped flowers appear between June and September and can be purple, pink or white. Each flower has five petals, with five to 10 flowers per stem.
“With showy, purple to white, orchid-like blooms and high nectar volume, purple jewelweed is attractive to both humans and wildlife, but it has highly invasive qualities,” the alert warned. “It spreads quickly due to high seed production, and it can grow in most conditions, often outcompeting native species. Purple jewelweed thrives in forests and wetlands and along riverbanks, where it can increase erosion due to its shallow roots. Because of its plentiful nectar, it may reduce pollinators’ interest in native plants and crops.”
The department urged Midwesterners to avoid planting purple jewelweed, noting that it is on Michigan’s “invasive species watch list” due to “its ability to spread beyond garden areas.”
Anyone who spots what they believe is purple jewelweed is asked to report sightings using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s online reporting tool or the MISIN smartphone app.
The plant can be commonly confused with a native “look-alike” plant in Illinois and across the Midwest known as spotted “touch-me-not.” These natives have orange flowers and are much smaller in size. Pale touch-me-nots have yellow flowers with more rounded leaf blades.
The DNR said the patch of Michigan plants was located and identified before all visible plants were pulled and disposed of.
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