Perhaps you have visited our mountain streams and spotted a small orange flower shaped like a tilted cup with with a lip. What you probably saw was Orange Jewelweed. Like a long list of others plants, this too is a plant often seen in the Appalachians but these are usually located in damp, wooded areas. The stems are broad but tender and the juice within them holds a special purpose.
As you might know walking in the woods often exposes you to some plants that are bad news for many. (If you are allergic to its touch.) The vines are poison ivy or poison oak. Well just as God placed allergenic plants on this earth, he also placed an antidote. Many mountain folk have passed down their remedies over the years and this was one of them.
If you have poison ivy try breaking a stem of Orange Jewelweed and rubbing some of the juice on your rash. The irritation will soon be gone. Also works for mosquito bites, bee, & wasp stings!
Also, while you are checking out the plant, notice the pods that grow under some of the flowers. When they are full grown you can touch them and they will explode! Thus attaining the other name for the plant, Spotted Touch-Me-Not.
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| Find a pod or two! |
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| 2. Pinch it & it explodes! |
Oh! And just in case you are dying for more info, below is a video of the excitement. :)
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