Balsam (Impatiens balsamina)

Balsam is a charming, flower with delicate blooms. Bees have a particular love for balsam 

Balsam is treasured by gardeners in the early 1900s but seems to have been lost popularity.

You won’t find balsam plants at most garden centers this spring when you look among the marigolds, petunias and impatiens.

 When it is young, all you see is a single stem covered from top to bottom with pointy leaves. There are no flowers to draw your attention.

Perhaps its inconspicuous appearance as a young plant is why few gardeners have discovered balsam.

Balsam grow annually. It adapts well to both sunny and partially shaded conditions. Balsam grows especially well in sunny sites that are out of the harsh afternoon sun.

The plants are sturdy, upright and narrow, growing about 12 to 36 inches tall. Blooms come in shades of pink, red, white and light purple.

The flowers may be a little hard to see as they are nestled between the leaves along the stem. Some gardeners pick off a few of the leaves to reveal more of the flowers,