jewelweed

[ joo-uhl-weed ]

noun

1. any of several plants of the genus Impatiens, especially I. capensis, having orange-yellow flowers spotted with reddish brown, or I. pallida, having yellow flowers sometimes spotted with brownish red.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jewelweed¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; jewel + weed ¹

Example Sentences

Around this time on a recent Thursday, a dozen people clustered on one side of the falls, along two ledges that were blanketed in snakeroot, yellow jewelweed, spotted Joe-Pye weed and pale swallowwort.

From New York Times

This time of year, the valley shimmers with clumps of orange jewelweed and sapphire bellflowers that shoot up from a blanket of moss so soft you could lie down and sleep for a thousand years.

From Literature

Our forest floors should be carpeted with Virginia bluebells, trillium, skunk cabbage, jewelweed, ferns, spring beauty, trout lily, columbine and more.

From Washington Post

Other plants she joyfully forages include American persimmons, pawpaws, wood nettles and jewelweed, which grows near creeks in Ohio, “where they can keep their feet wet.”

From Los Angeles Times

But that was changing: He pointed to butter-and-eggs, oxeye daisies, bellflowers, tufted vetch, hemp nettle, spotted jewelweed, creeping Charlie, common tansy, orange hawkweed.

From New York Times