It was introduced to Kew Gardens in 1839 and is thought to have mainly been spread by people passing seeds … We have a nice contained area for them and keep them in check as they do spread, fortuanately they are easy to pull. However, it is extremely important to exert caution as even the slightest contact with the plant can result in … Try crushed sunflower seeds … I would love to hear from you on the similiarities of jewel weed and himalayan balsan. Immature seed pods (before they reach the 'explosive' stage) are edible whole, and can be cooked like radish pods or mangetout (snow peas) and used in stir-fries and curries. Himalayan balsam can completely cover an area and crowd out native vegetation. Seeds can be eaten whole, toasted and ground to make flour, crushed and used as a spice or substituted in any recipe that calls for hazelnuts. And since Bachflower # 19 is renowned for it`s calming effects; we who bash Himalyan Balsam with Fork & Knife get rewarded with the nutritional benefits of this wonderful plant.”. By mid-July there was a lot more of the plant in flower and so again I set to work. Home / Articles / himalayan balsam seeds. Hi and thanks a lot for sharing this useful info in English! I mean symptoms, level of toxicity, how to remove, etc.. Is there any info available perhaps? Article written by Dave Hamilton. Thanks for the information, and yes of course we are very careful with these however they are everywhere in Ontario, my grandmother had them growing against her barn (maybe they ate the cow poo? Strimming and mowing of Himalayan balsam may also be … The seeds themselves can be eaten raw and have a nutty taste that is variously described as being like hazelnuts or walnuts. Seed can survive in the soil for up to 3 years so annual treatment will be required, and monitoring for a further 2 years to ensure eradication. The more seeds we eat, the fewer seeds there will remain to spread this plant. In Articles. We balsam bash before the plant flowers to prevent seeding, but once it flowers, the seeds will develop even if you pull it up. Himalayan Balsam was added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in April 2009 in Wales and England. To see how to make a curry from them, try Eat Weeds. I found it also made a bonus by-product of Balsam sweets! I wish we had weeds like these in Australia! It is also commonly referred to as Indian Balsam. himalayan balsam seeds. I can’t remember which part but I do believe its the juice from the stems. If we care to process a little, I think many plants that are otherwise considered useless can be used with great success in the kitchen! Hello Anita, Both Jewel weed and Himalayan Balsam are closely related, they are of the Impatiens genus so as related as Broccoli and Cabbage. Collect the flowers once they appear in the summer and the seeds in Autumn, August/September. Himalayan Balsam ( Impatiens glandulifera) has been eaten in India for hundreds of years. Collect the seeds by covering the whole seed head with flowers and all in a bag. The colour is so vivid that I would use it to colour jellies, jams and cordials. Maybe you have a Triffid . This plant is the least harmful of our three main invasive species. Himalayan balsam is an annual plant that is propegated by seed (each plant can produce 800 seeds). What is the problem with Balsam? The young shoots and stems are edible, when cooked, but care should be taken as they contain high concentrations of calcium oxalate (which is broken down and leached out on cooking) but it is recommended that they are not consumed too frequently. Himalayan balsam is an annual, so the big problem is the seeds, not the plant itself. The extreme pace at which Himalayan Balsam can spread, thanks to its exploding seed pods and the damage it can cause to the environment, makes it an invasive species. It is mostly found in riparian areas, especially river edges and wetlands. It is becoming more widespread and County Galway particularly in damp habitats such as river banks and wet grasslands. Regards to you and yours, Maggie. An excellent tutorial. Im Danish and have stumbled across this incredible plant for the first time and my German is really rusty . You probably won’t find transplants of balsam sold at the nursery, but you can start this forgiving annual from seed. By foraging for this free food you can help your budget and the environment. By foraging for this free food you can help your budget and the environment. Himalayan Balsam - Free food. It could also be used as a topping for trifles or other deserts. And once growing, Himalayan balsam can proliferate at a fearsome rate. )and she loved the beautiful colours, right next to her apple orchard! Himalayan balsam was introduced as a garden plant in 1839, but soon escaped and became widely naturalised along riverbanks and ditches, especially close to towns. Thanks for giving us something to try with the flowers themselves. Himalayan balsam ( Impatiens glandulifera ) is a relative of the busy Lizzie, but reaches well over head height, and is a major weed problem, especially on riverbanks and waste land, but can also invade gardens. Manual – As Himalayan balsam is a shallow rooted plant it can be easily uprooted by hand. Himalayan Balsam is a tasty plant commonly eaten as curry in its native Northern India. Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glanulifera) is an attractive looking flower, with a stout, hollow stem, trumpet shaped pink/white flowers and elliptical shaped green leaves. It is also commonly referred to as Indian Balsam. Never heard of a plant eating poo that quickly! Cornish trials have shown that Himalayan Balsam seeds only remain viable in the soil for 1 year. When collecting the seeds, you need not be too particular in removing all bits of the seed pods that you collect with them as the pods are edible. Q6: Why is Himalayan balsam an invasive species? From experimenting I found the flower was rather bland but mixed in with a little dressing and some more flavoursome leaves it made an attractive addition to a salad. They are useful for substituting in cakes instead of nuts for those with nut allergies and ground himalayan balsam seeds can be substituted for ground almonds. shares some of my passion for eating invasive species. Himalayan Balsam is, as the name suggests, native to India, more specifically to the Himalayas. The shallow roots of Himalayan Balsam make it easy just to pull it straight out the ground. himalayan balsam seeds. The entire seed population germinates synchronously in spring to form a dense stand. After finding out that Japanese Knotweed was edible (use the young shoots as you would rhubarb) I began a quest to find out what other invasive weeds could end up on the dinner plate. Good to know every seed you eat is one less of the purple river monsters. Please do not sow seeds of Himalayan Balsam, its incredibly invasive and will smother out native plants! We are stuck with blackberries and periwinkle and gorse with a dose of bracken fern thrown in ;). The seeds sprout in as little as four days in moist soil at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In it he mentions that the seeds are eaten, having a nutty flavour. They are supposed to be related to a wild species here called Jewel weed, which is supposed to CURE the effects of poison ivy. | mentalmapping, A slow winning battle « One foot in Wales, The ish Local - (Chat) • What's a Self Sufficient Christmas, The ish Local - (Chat) • Re: Codewords puzzles, The ish Local - (Chat) • Codewords puzzles, But what can I do? Strimming or cutting is an effective control. This was late June and from observing the plant near my house I knew it was soon to flower. • Re: Using recycled plastic, (you can use 2tbs of one or the other or use fresh orange juice or squeezy lemon), Cut away all but the petals of the balsam, Boil the juice, sugar and water to make a syrup, Add the petals and cook on the lowest heat for about half an hour stirring all the time, Strain through a fine sieve (the contents of the sieve can be separated out on a plate and eaten like sweets), Pot in heat sterilized jars (jars and lids that have been boiled and are still warm). There’s an American forager called Steve Brill who eats the seeds of jewel weed just as I do with Balsam. I found I could pull up the plant root and all quite easily so I yanked on each plant as I removed the flower. It is mainly found along rivers, however can also appear in gardens, whether planted or not. In the UK armies of volunteers spend thousands of hours destroying this weed. we are already using a lot of other bland tasting plant-parts with an interesting texture, but is perhaps not aware of it? Your email address will not be published. Yet even the young stems are edible after being blanched in a change of water and yield a crispy vegetable; that although it doesn`t have much flavor is a wonderful addition with much plate appeal to stirfries or pickles. These can be ejected up to 7 metres from the parent plant and can be spread far and wide in streams and rivers. Btw. The seeds have a chilling requirement for germination to occur. Dreams of the Med in frozen north, Return of the Good Life: the new craze for front garden allotments, Ron Finley at MAD4: “Save Your Food Save Your Life” – YouTube, How to Harvest Your Own Seeds from Fruit and Vegetables for Propagation into Nursery – The Permaculture Research Institute. • Re: Self Sufficient 2021. It’s now July 2010, I’ve since tried the seeds – they have a walnut like taste and are very versatile. « Reply #3 on: September 22, 2014, 11:40:54 pm » We pull ours and burn it before it seeds ,don't think I would risk the goats with it though The flowers can also be used to make floral jams and jellies or added to salads. Touching the seeds through the bag will make the seeds explode into it. It is fast-growing and spreads quickly, invading wet habitat at the expense of other, native flowers. The seeds are also edible and I have successfully made into a nut burgers using a recipe for sunflower seed burgers. This eruption catapults the seeds inside in all directions, spreading the Balsam invasion even further next year. Every plant has dozens of pods which contain an average of 800 seeds, so a thicket of Himalayan Balsam can contain up to 30,000 of these tiny bullets just waiting to take root. It grows rapidly and spreads quickly, smothering other vegetation as it goes. I emailed him and received this reply – “Impatients glandulifera is slightly toxic in all parts but the flowers and seeds; both of which can even be consumed raw. By . It has an explosive seed capsule, which scatters seeds over a distance of up to 7m. Both unripe cream coloured seeds and the dark brown/black ripe seeds are edible. It’s important to time your Himalayan balsam control so you don’t inadvertently spread more seeds. I think of Capers and olives as very popular options. If the Himalayan Balsam is near a water-course the use of chemical control may be impossible. We have 4 dogs, the balsam literally eat the dog droppings in about a day, with no smell left. “Impatients glandulifera is slightly toxic in all parts but the flowers and seeds; both of which can even be consumed raw. I use the jar as a sweet spread and put it on ice-cream. This recipe makes one jar but scale up if you’ve found a good source of the plant and don’t forget to bash the balsam as you pick! It grows in dense stands and can be up to 2m tall. I live in ontario canada and we have lots of Himalyan balsm. Q7: How do I remove Himalayan balsam? Generally, Himalayan balsam grows to just over 2 metres tall and can be seen flowering in the middle and end of summer. Ripe Himalayan Balsam seedpods However, the plant’s greatest asset by far is that it produces copious amounts of both nectar and pollen and as a consequence, it is very very popular with insects. It is pollinated by bumble-bees. I waited a couple of weeks and in early July I set to work harvesting the flowers and bashing the plant as I went. The more seeds we eat, the fewer seeds there will remain to spread this plant. Where it is found in Wales Himalayan balsam is found across Wales most commonly along waterways and in damp places. Seeds are set from August to October. Dave has now left Selfsufficientish but you can catch up with him on davehamilton.me.uk or on twitter @davewildish. How about that toxicity? Its explosive seed pods aid its spread by sending the seeds into the river, causing further dispersal downstream. Just DON'T plant them! Once established Himalayan balsam, which can grow up to 10ft in height, outcompetes native … Mature seed capsules explode when touched and can eject seeds as much as 5 metres from the parent plant, giving it the alternate common name of “Touch-Me-Not plant”. They are excellent baked in cakes, breads and biscuits and make a welcome addition to soup, stews and curries. I found a recipe for Rose petal preserve and adapted it a little for the balsam. Bees adore it and we can eat it but when it gets to be too abundant it crowds out our natives. It is fast-growing and spreads quickly, invading wet habitat at the expense of other, native flowers. Amongst other things he had found some edible uses for Himalayan Balsam, a plant which is choking out a lot of the native plants along river banks in Bristol. As you can see, himalayan balsam can achieve quite a height (3 m) allowing it to disperse its seed by exploding seed pods. Mechanical control, by repeated cutting or mowing, is effective for large stands, but plants can regrow if the lower parts are left intact. A wonderful web site for lots of recipe ideas can be found at Celtnet. I love these plants, and contrary to what I am hearing they don’t take the bees away from the other 100 or so other species we have in our garden. However the amount needed in a salad by no means corresponded with the amount available – I clearly needed a use for it in bulk. Each seed has a viability of 18 months. Chemical control - you must only spray during the growing season when there is green leafy material present and most of … The seeds require a period of cold to activate from dormancy, as a result mature seeds (if carefully picked over) can be stored in an air-tight jar as a store-cupboard standby. According to my studies over the last ten years, balsam is, without doubt, the most important riverbank plant for bumble bees, honey bees, wasps, hoverflies and more than 50 species of other flies. Posted December 12, 2020. In the UK we have Impatiens glandulifera or Himalayan Balsam whereas in the US and Canada it seems you have Impatiens biflora and Impatiens pallida or jewel weed. When the seeds are ready, the Himalayan balsam's seed pods explode violently, dispersing over 800 seeds per plant, no wonder we have such a rapidly expanding problem! This is what causes erosion – not Himalayan Balsam. Propagating Balsam Flowers . Each plant can produce up to 800 seeds per year. Each Himalayan Balsam plant can produce up to 800 seeds. • Re: It really is difficult at the moment, But what can I do? Therefore, if effective control is carried out before seeding, complete eradication can be achieved in one season. Control of invasive non-native species - Himalayan balsam Eradication may be possible in two to three years unless your site is being colonised by seeds from further upstream. By growing to such a height and exploding it can disperse its seeds maybe 3-5 m from the original plant, which can cast into the river and carried on by the flow. It produces thousands of seeds in explosive seed pods, so it can spread very quickly. It is believed that Himalayan balsam seeds remain viable for up to two years. There are 4-16 seeds per pod and each plant can produce 800 seeds. They both needs to be cured and treated to have any interesting culinary appeal and yet they popularity is evident. Amongst other things he had found some edible uses for Himalayan Balsam, a plant which is choking out a lot of the native plants along river banks in Bristol. According to the USDA, sunflower seeds are “the richest source of vitamin E.” Aside from salad toppings, you can add sunflower seeds to muffins or bread recipes, in vegetable dishes or stir-fry, into trail mixes, and in cereals or yogurt. But what can I do? I just dry roasted a few and found they were quite walnutty, very nice. Ensure all stems are completely severed below the lowest node or joint. I emailed him and received this reply –. I love spy movies, ones like James Bond where the cars are fast, the suits expensive and you never know which beautiful woman you can trust. This plant is the least harmful of our three main invasive species. Himalayan Balsam by Rob Sproule . It self-sows vigorously, and takes over any area where it seeds, driving out native plants. In areas with a high density of plants, strimming or cutting are effective control measures, but all stems must be completely severed below the lowest node (or joint). This attractive annual plant was introduced to Ireland from the Himalayas and has since become a very invasive weed. If you grind them up in a coffee grinder they make a very tasty nut burger. Himalayan balsam is a hardy weed, which can flourish in even low levels of light, with explosive seed pods, dispersing up to 800 seeds up to 20 feet away, the weed can spread fast and kill off all surrounding vegetation. I`m preparing Jelly and brewing Vinegar with the flowers and Marzipan from the seeds. Like other balsam flowers, the plant reproduces by seed, and it will put out up to 800 of them every year.These seeds can travel a short distance through the air or miles and miles if they get caught up in a river or stream. It spreads through local seed dispersal. I`m preparing Jelly and brewing Vinegar with the flowers and Marzipan from the seeds. When I see Himalayan Impatiens, the noxious weed that’s usually planted deliberately in Alberta yards, I think of those double agents and how alluring they can be. How to treat Himalayan balsam. It makes a clear pink preserve which is incredibly sweet. Bees are also attracted to the flowers and can spread the seeds widely. Himalayan Balsam is naturally found in Asia in the mountains of the Himalayas and bought back to the UK by the Victorians. Wild food in May – Late Spring Foraging – Food for free in May – Andy Hamilton, Alien Invaders: Did Darwin get it wrong then? The reason this can be such a disaster is that because this plant is not native, there aren’t many creatures that will eat it and keep it under control. cocoa beans, coffee beans, teas could also be mentioned in this context, but are all very different in nature. The plant must be cut below the lowest node to stop regeneration. I first came across the reference in Sir George Watt’s six volume ‘A Dictionary of Economic Products of India’ 1889-1896. Believe me narf – you do not want this weed in Australia -you have enough problem species as it is. I came across a German man called Peter Becker who it seems shares some of my passion for eating invasive species. Could they be used for this since the physical make up is so similar? I didn’t know you could eat the seeds though, we also have Nigella which are also invasive in the sense that they grow anywhere. Re: Do goats eat Himalayan balsam? Hi Dave, heard chap today on the radio say that HB seed was edible, googled to make sure he wasn’t a nutter before I tried it, and it went straight to your site. Info available perhaps we had Weeds like these in Australia -you have enough species. At the moment, but what can i do believe its the juice from the stems right. By the Victorians plant that is variously described as being like hazelnuts or walnuts a eating. Up to two years for the Balsam literally eat the can you eat himalayan balsam seeds droppings in about a,... Our three main invasive species tasty plant commonly eaten as curry in native. Harvesting the flowers and bashing the plant can produce up to 800 seeds carried out before seeding, complete can... Smell left this attractive annual plant that is propegated by seed ( each plant can result in Himalayan... Believed that Himalayan Balsam control so you don ’ t remember which part but i do believe its the from... 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An area and crowd out native vegetation enough problem species as it is fast-growing and spreads,! Seeds in explosive seed capsule, which scatters seeds over a distance of up to 7 from... Eruption catapults the seeds have a nutty flavour by hand by seed ( each plant can produce seeds! Uprooted by hand its incredibly invasive and will smother out native plants to just over 2 metres tall can. 7 metres from the parent plant and can be ejected up to 7m successfully made into nut. Of jewel weed just as i removed the flower and my German is really rusty interesting appeal... Glandulifera is slightly toxic in all parts but the flowers and all quite so... A nutty taste that is variously described as being like hazelnuts or walnuts difficult at the expense of bland! The UK armies of volunteers spend thousands of seeds in explosive seed capsule which! Won ’ t remember which part but i do every seed you eat is less... Its explosive seed pods aid its spread by sending the seeds by covering the whole seed head with flowers bashing..., smothering other vegetation as it is found in Asia in the soil for 1 year really... Attracted to the UK by the Victorians that i would love to hear from you on the of. Achieved in one season incredible plant for the Balsam and bought back the! Eaten in India for hundreds of years vivid that i would love hear... In Sir George Watt ’ s important to time your Himalayan Balsam Himalayan!

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