Things are about to get exciting behind the West Park Band Shell. In a few days these Jewel Weed Plants (Impatiens capensis) will have exploding edible seed pods. Also called “Touch Me Not” the seeds have a nutty taste and can be harvested by carefully letting the pod explode in your closed hand. Just touch the pod and it opens with plant-like force. Great for kids. The juicy leaves help relieve rashes caused by poison ivy and insect bites when applied topically. [photo]
West Park Band Shell
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They are fun! Do you cook the seeds, throw them on a salad, or what?
This plant is an indicator for wet soil. Evidently it is damp behind the band shell.
Vivienne, you can do any of those things. But they are small and it takes time to collect any large amount. So I just eat them as I walk, and enjoy the collection method. Some kids also like to carefully pick the pod without touching it, and then throw them at each other. They “explode” on impact. No one gets hurt.
The taste is sort of nutty, mild.
Today there is a large bird hanging out in the outfield of the baseball field – good thing there isn’t a game going on, because it is facing the back fence instead of home plate. Neither my eyesight nor my birding skills are good enough for me to ID it. Crane? Heron? A perching bird gone mutant, sort of like the infamous 20 pound carp??
There has been a great blue heron coming to the pond to feed on the goldfish that were dumped there. That’s a good candidate for your large bird.