Scientific Name: Impatiens capensis
Common names: jewelweed or touch-me-not (because of the way the seeds pop and fly everywhere when the flowers are touched!)
Annual bushy plant native to Eastern North America, forms a small branching shrub 3-5 feet tall when mature (around August).
Meet Jewelweed. Your new best friend. This unassuming little plant can be found in wet, swampy areas all over the eastern U.S. According to folklore (and my own observations in nature) jewelweed can be often found thriving not far from its "nemesis" poison ivy, oak or sumac. Know thine enemy: visit www.poisonivy.org if you need help identifying the "bad guys". Jewel weed has many herbal attributes, including anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties, but mostly it is known for it's "super-power" ability to fight the poison ivy rash. Yep, you heard that right. The watery sap in the stems and leaves of this little green warrior can be applied topically to greatly counteract the nasty effects of poison ivy, oak, or sumac.
According to Wikipedia: "The effectiveness of its use to prevent the development of a rash after short-term exposure to poison ivy has been supported by peer-reviewed study, and is likely due to the plant containing saponins.[8][9] These studies also found that some individuals have a sensitivity to jewelweed which can cause a more severe rash.
The stem juice has also been used to treat athlete's foot; its fungicidal qualities have been scientifically verified.[10]"
(Note: As with any information on the internet, don't take my word for it. Do your own independent herbal research. It's always a good idea to do a patch test on a small area of your skin and wait at least 24 hours to assure you don't have an allergy before trying any new topical herbal.)
Jewelweed to the rescue: Snip or pluck some leaves and/or stems of the jewelweed plant, crush between you fingers, and rub directly onto areas of skin immediately after exposure to poison ivy, oak, or sumac. Most people claim that doing this within 20 minutes or so after exposure will greatly reduce or even prevent poison ivy rash from forming. (Foraging etiquette: Please respect nature by only harvesting what you need, and leaving the plant(s) plenty of healthy flowers and leaves to reproduce and spread. Never yank the plant out by the roots, unless you are harvesting them for a specific purpose, and again, only if there are plenty of plants to spare.)
Make some cooling jewelweed ice cubes. Keep some jewelweed on hand for the next time you need it, by making some infused ice cubes. Boil a handful of fresh jewelweed in enough water to cover, or extract the essence using a juicer. Then freeze the resulting liquid in an ice cube tray and keep them handy in a freezer-safe container. Gently apply to bug bites, rashes, and even bee stings, for a cooling relief. Ahhhhhhhh.
Create a jewelweed salve for your home apothecary. Making a salve is a relatively easy and very fun project. All you need are some basic ingredients, a double boiler (or a saucepan and heatproof glass container works, also) and a small amount of patience.
Check out this great blog post about DIY salves by: https://nittygrittylife.com/basic-salve-recipe/ which covers all the basics of making a great homemade salve. (Substitute dry herbs in this recipe for a generous handful of fresh jewelweed when infusing your salve.)
Enjoy!
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