What is jewelweed used for?
Jewelweed is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse jewelweed with potentilla, since both are known as silverweed. People take jewelweed by mouth to treat mild digestive disorders, as well as rashes caused by poison ivy.
Where can I find jewelweed?
It is found most often in moist woods, usually near poison ivy or stinging nettle. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists as a treatment for poison ivy, oak and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of dermatitis. Jewelweed is an amazing plant that grows all over the place where I live.
How do you use jewelweed for Poison Ivy?
How to Use Jewelweed When you are out in the field and find you have been exposed to poison ivy, oak, or stinging nettle you can reach for the jewelweed plant and slice the stem, then rub its juicy inside on exposed parts. This will usually promptly ease irritation and prevents breakout for most people, though soap is said to be more effective
How do you use jewelweed for wound wash?
Stems and leaves from the jewelweed plant have been used to make a wound wash. The prime time to harvest jewelweed is when it is in flowering mode. You can pull out the entire plant and then chop or snip the parts you intend to use or preserve but pulling it straight up out of the ground or snipping the stem just above the taproot at ground level.
What part of jewelweed is used for poison ivy?
stemIf you crush the hollow stem and rub the sticky, clear sap on your skin, it quickly takes away the itch from poison ivy blisters or the burning sensation caused by stinging nettles.
How is jewelweed used?
Jewelweed has a long history of use in Native American medicine. When applied topically, sap from the stem and leaves is said to relieve itching and pain from a variety of ailments, including hives, poison ivy, stinging nettle, and other skin sores and irritations.
How do you make jewelweed ointment?
Mix 2 tablespoons of beeswax to 1/2 cup infused oil in a glass jar. Heat the jar in a water bath on the stove until the beeswax is dissolved. Let cool slightly before adding in your essential oils (about 15 drops), and vitamin E to act as a preservative. Stir and pour into the containers.
How do you harvest jewelweed for poison ivy?
0:002:06How to process Jewel weed for poison ivy (also called touch me not)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo here to process it we just cut it up with a pair of scissors and to a bowl and then you can takeMoreSo here to process it we just cut it up with a pair of scissors and to a bowl and then you can take the stems.
How do you harvest and use jewelweed?
Jewelweed can also be used immediately. Squish the leaves and rub directly on the skin where needed. You can also blend jewelweed and strain out the juice for immediate use or refrigerate to use within several days. Jewelweed spoils quickly.
How do you make a jewelweed tincture?
DirectionsChop up the jewelweed plant.Place the chopped jewelweed into the quart jar (pack it full).Cover completely with witch hazel and close the jar.Place jar in a crockpot.Add water around the jar as high up as you can without covering the neck of the jar.Place crockpot on low/warm.More items...
How do you use jewelweed for bug bites?
Quick go by running water, pick some Jewelweed. Slice the plant stem and rub the juice on the affected area. Or if you want to prepare for a later attack of the itchies, collect some Jewelweed and throw it in the blender with a little water. Blend to you get a smooth liquid and pour into an ice cube tray.
How do you make a jewelweed poultice?
Jewelweed Poultice Recipe. Jewelweed Infused Herbal Soap Recipe....InstructionsFill a glass container three quarters of a way full with crushed or chopped jewelweed leaves or stems – or a combination of both.Pour just enough boiling water over the jewelweed parts to cover them completely.More items...•
How do you make jewelweed soap?
1:044:22How to Make Jewelweed Soap {for poison ivy} S2W20 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo be sure to forage the entire plant processing the plant for soap is rather easy clean and removeMoreSo be sure to forage the entire plant processing the plant for soap is rather easy clean and remove the roots fill your pot with jewelweed and cover it with water boil.
When do you harvest jewelweed for salve?
Jewelweed is ready to harvest for medicine once it has started flowering. For those of us in East TN, this usually occurs in July and continues into late summer/early fall.
Can I drink jewelweed tea?
You can find jewelweed sometimes growing near to where poison ivy is growing. Gather jewelweed leaves, not the flowers, and boil them to make a tea. Dab this over the area of the rash. You can freeze any remaining tea in an ice cube tray but label it so no one makes a mistake and adds it to a beverage.
Is jewelweed edible?
The flowers are also edible and make a colorful salad, but they lack the excitement and flavor of the seed pods. Ben Harrison Charles, the author of Eat the Weeds, warns that you should eat jewelweed in moderation because it's so rich in minerals that it can cause digestive upset.
What is Jewelweed used for?
Jewelweed is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse jewelweed with potentilla, since both are known as silverweed. People take jewelweed by mouth to treat mild digestive disorders, as well as rashes caused by poison ivy.
Does Jewelweed interact with lithium?
Lithium interacts with JEWELWEED. Jewelweed might have an effect like a water pill or "diuretic.". Taking jewelweed might decrease how well the body gets rid of lithium. This could increase how much lithium is in the body and result in serious side effects.
Can you take Jewelweed with lithium?
Talk with your healthcare provider before using this product if you are taking lithium. Your lithium dose might need to be changed. The appropriate dose of jewelweed depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions.
Is Jewelweed safe to take?
Jewelweed is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth or applied directly to the skin. No significant side effects have been reported. Special Precautions and Warnings. Pregnancy and breast -feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking jewelweed if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Does jewelweed help with rash?
Poison oak and poison ivy dermatitis (rash). Some small studies shows that applying jewelweed extract or juice to the skin does not help treat or prevent rashes caused by poison ivy, but applying a jewelweed mash directly to the skin may help. Mild digestive disorders. Other conditions.
What is Jewelweed used for?
Use. Jewelweed is most commonly known for its antipruritic use in the treatment of poison ivy rash. It has also been used as an agent to promote blood flow, for postchildbirth and joint pain, bruises and swelling, and as an antidote to fish poisoning.
How tall does Jewelweed grow?
They grow 2 to 5 feet in height and either bear orange to yellow, or pink to purple flowers, respectively, and are commonly grown as bedding and house plants. Motz 2012 Jewelweed is sometimes called the "touch-me-not.".
Where can I find poison ivy?
Impatiens capensis and the closely related I. balsamina are tender, succulent herbs commonly found at wet woodland borders, shaded riverbanks, and roadside ditches, which are locations also preferred by poison ivy. They grow 2 to 5 feet in height and either bear orange to yellow, or pink to purple flowers, respectively, and are commonly grown as bedding and house plants. Motz 2012 Jewelweed is sometimes called the "touch-me-not." This name alludes to the presence of a seed capsule made of a soft fleshy tissue that tends to expel its contents if touched or shaken.
What is I. capensis used for?
Lewis 1977, Long 1997 The Southern Cherokee, Potawatomi, Chippewa, Meskwaki, and Omaha used I. capensis for a variety of pruritic dermatites besides treating and preventing poison ivy rash and itch , including treatment of stings from other plants (eg, stinging nettle) and insect bites.
Does jewelweed help with poison ivy?
Several attempts have been made to verify that jewelweed extracts, when applied topically, have a beneficial effect on poison ivy eruptions. Approaches, formulations, and preparations have been varied (ie, glycerin or aqueous extracts, whole-plant mashes, juice from aerial parts, sprays, soaps, creams). Motz 2012
Where can I find Jewelweed?
Jewelweed is an amazing plant that grows all over the place where I live. You can find it next to the road, near creeks and streams, in fields, and just about anywhere.#N#So get up, go look around, and gather some! You can use the whole plant for the remedy, and it comes up out of the ground easily by pulling the stalk. You will want probably three or four medium sized plants for this. Enough to fill a pot about half way, once it's chopped up.
How to make orange tea from jewelweed?
Take your Jewelweed plants and chop them up so they fit in the bowl you have. The smaller the pieces are, the better it works. Now fill up your pot with water, put the plant in, and toss it on the stove. Bring it to a nice rolling boil to ensure all of the helpful juices have come out of the plant. The water is going to turn a nice bright orange color. Let it cool, and remove all the plant material so you are left with bright orange jewelweed tea.
How to get rid of poison ivy rash?
Toss those babies back in the freezer for later. If you do, grab one (or two, if it's really bad) and go outside or to the tub and rub the cube on your rash. The chemicals in the plant counteract the poison and start to work immediately. Do this twice a day, and your poison ivy will clear up in no time! I've also found that scrubbing my rash with a loofa or semi abrasive pad before rubbing the ice on it helps to heal it faster. The rash opens, I rub the ice on it, the rash scabs and heals.
How to use Jewelweed for poison ivy?
If you want a DIY Jewelweed remedy for poison ivy, bug bites itchy rashes etc..., the easiest way is to use it is to brew chopped jewelweed in boiling water until you get a dark orange liquid. Yellow Jewelweed will not yield orange color and may not be effective. Strain the liquid and pour into ice cube trays.
Where is Jewelweed found?
Jewelweed is a smooth annual plant that grows to 3-5 ft or sometimes taller in the eastern part of North America from Southern Canada to the northern part of Florida. Jewelweed is most often found on the edge of moist woods, ...
How do Jewelweed plants grow?
The plant is shaped much like a small tree, and branches out quite a bit for its size. Jewelweed plants are often knocked down by rushing water and can sometimes be found with much off the stem on the ground, growing new roots at the leaf nodes, while new branches grow upward toward the light.
Why do people use jewelweed soap?
Many people use Jewelweed Soap to keep rashes from occuring in the first place when used the same day as exposure . Jewelweed usually grows in patches of several plants. It is rarely to find a single plant growing alone.
What is the color of the flowers on a jewelweed plant?
Jewelweed Plant Description and Habitat. There are many different Impatiens species known as Jewelweed with flowers of purple, yellow, pink and white, sometimes a showy scarlet. The flowers are spurred and irregular in form and are borne in the leaf axils.
What is the natural remedy for poison oak?
Jewelweed, Nature's Answer to Poison Ivy? The Jewelweed plant has been used for centuries in North America by Native Americans and Herbalists, as a natural preventative and treatment for poison ivy and poison oak; and is a folk remedy for many other skin disorders.
What is the best plant for skin?
The Jewelweed plant is best known for its skin soothing properties. The branches contain a gooey liquid like an aloe plant, though it's juice will often turn orange once squeezed from the plant.
What is jewelweed used for?
Jewelweed Uses and Benefits. Curing poison ivy rash has been one of the most common uses of jewelweed. The juice derived from the stem of the plant can also be used to treat insect bites, and fungal skin infections. Read this HolisticZine article to know more uses and benefits of jewelweed.
What is the anti-inflammatory ingredient in Jewelweed?
The leaves of jewelweed contain two 1-methoxy, four naphthoquinine―an anti-inflammatory ingredient that is also found in Preparation H, an ointment commonly recommended for hemorrhoids. Similarly, poultices and salves made from jewelweed plant are used for the same purpose as tincture and juice of jewelweed.
How to get rid of warts on skin?
On the other hand, jewelweed provides a natural way to permanently get rid of warts. Apply the juice or the tincture on the affected area, and then cover it with BAND-AID. Apply these jewelweed extracts daily, and you will soon notice your skin free from warts.
What are the seeds of Jewelweed?
Jewelweed seeds are found to be edible, and their taste is a combination of hemp seeds and pine nuts. However, some say they are walnut-flavored, and moreover, are good sources of omega-3s and omega-6s. These seeds are small and encased in a seed pod. A ripe seed pod when delicately touched, springs apart and flings the seeds up to 6 feet in all directions. So place a small bag around the seed pod, which will allow you to catch these nutritious seeds when it pops open.
How tall is Jewelweed?
Well, we're looking for good writers who want to spread the word. Get in touch with us and we'll talk... Let's Work Together! Jewelweed, a 3 to 5 feet tall plant, is native to North America. Used for centuries by the Native Americans, they swear by its high medicinal value. The stem and the leaves of the plant are primarily used for treating ...
Does jewelweed juice help with insect bites?
Relieves Insect Bites. The annoyance of insect bites can also be easily managed by applying the jewelweed juice to the affected area. Be it a mosquito bite, wasp or a bee sting, its application is sure to provide relief to the affected area. The jewelweed juice can also be used to relieve pain associated with bruises, minor burns, and cuts.
Does Jewelweed help with ringworm?
So, external application of the juice of the stem may help treat fungal skin infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm. The juice known for its antipruritic properties, can also help treat itchy skin problems such as eczema.
Jewelweed Identification
The jewelweed plant can grow to be more than three feet tall with leaves that are tender, oval shaped, and scalloped. You will notice that when water collects on the leaves, they appearlike little jewels, and often roll right off.
Jewelweed Look Alikes
Jewelweed plants look very similar to pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida). They have triangular seed pods with colorful spots. However, jewelweed has a stem that is mostly hairless except for a few hairs at nodes near flowers and leaves. It flowers from June through October.
Where is jewelweed found?
Jewelweed is a common herb often found in moist, semi-shady areas throughout northern and eastern North America. It often grows densely in forests that are in low, flood-prone areas, along rivers, and around the forested edges of marshes and bogs. Jewelweed also colonizes disturbed habitats such as ditches and roadsides.
What Happens When We Touch touch me not plant?
Jewelweed is often called touch-me-not because when the hairs are touched, they suddenly release their seeds. The jewelweed plant needs moisture to help it do this—that’s why jewelweed is usually found growing along waterways.
Is Jewelweed Edible?
Surprisingly, you can use jewelweed as a food source in moderation. The tiny seeds taste like walnuts and can be safely consumed, as can the flowers which look so pretty in a summer salad. They are also good cooked and added to stir fry.
Jewelweed for Poison Ivy
Jewelweed is best known for the sap found in its stem and leaves. This sap is said to relieve itching and pain from a variety of ailments, including hives, poison ivy, bug bites, stinging nettle, sunburn, and other skin irritations. The sap has also been shown to have anti-fungal properties and can be used to treat athlete’s foot.
Medicinal Uses of Jewelweed
Jewelweed can be used as a remedy for poison ivy dermatitis (a rash from the oil urushiol). Rub jewelweed juice on the poison ivy blisters and other parts of your skin that got exposed to the poisonous oil. This will help decrease the severity of the reaction & treat the area.
What is Jewelweed used for?
Jewelweed is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse jewelweed with potentilla, since both are known as silverweed.
Does jewelweed juice help with skin inflammation?
Poison oak and poison ivy. Some early research suggests that applying jewelweed extract or jewelweed juice to the skin does not reduce skin inflammation caused by poison ivy or poison oak.
Is Jewelweed safe to take?
Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
What is Jewelweed used for?
What Is Jewelweed? Jewelweed ( Impatiens capensis) has been used in natural healing remedies to also help treat joint pain, swelling, as an antidote to fish poisoniWhng, to increase blood flow, for pain post childbirth, and to soothe bruises.
How to make jewelweed?
Put the jewelweed parts in the Mason jar so it is halfway to three quarters full. Add in the leaves or stems of any of the optional plants that you have also chosen to use. Cover the natural material with the vodka or the rubbing alcohol. Use only enough to cover the plant parts thoroughly.
How to preserve jewelweed poison ivy?
Preserve the jewelweed poison ivy tincture in a clean Mason jar with a firm fitting lid in a cool dark place until needed to use as a wound wash on rash or to soak a poultice in to treat a poison ivy, poison sumac, or poison oak rash.
How long should I boil Jewelweed leaves?
Before using the leaves in a salad, boil them for 10 minutes, dump the water, and then refill the cook pot with fresh water and boil for another 10 minutes. Jewelweed leaves are a common natural stir fry ingredient, and a superb way to garner the potent and potentially anti-fungal nutrients the plant possesses.
Why do jewelweed plants have bright yellow flowers?
This wild plant is prone to attracting beads of rain or dew onto the leaves for extended periods of time, causing the moisture to sparkle brightly in the sunshine. Some folks have contended that the jewel type formation of the bright yellow or orange flowers also played a role in how the jewelweed plant got its name.
Why use salve for burns?
This salve can be used to alleviate discomfort, minor burns, swelling, and rashes just as the infusions, washes, and poultice recipes noted above. Being a solid, a salve is sometimes favored by users because there can be less waste when applied and it may stay on the wounded area with less dripping.
What is soap used for?
The soap can be used to treat a minor wound, minor burn, skin rash, or insect stings and bites or merely on a daily basis to soothe the skin and attempt to avoid dry skin or dermatitis flare-ups. Print Recipe.
What does Jewelweed do?
Jewelweed has the ability to visually transform the dewdrops which get caught in its leaves into dainty little diamonds or crystals. This magical effect gives this precious botanical its name. Its tall knobby stem gives way to juicy leaves that stiffen and wilt according to the time of day and how thirsty the plant is.
What is the best way to use jewelweed for bug bites?
In the wild, fresh jewelweed stem and leaf make an excellent poultice to apply to bug bites, rashes, and even cuts and scrapes. Once you correctly identify the plant, simply pull a little off and smash it between your fingers until it becomes a watery mash, then use it as a “green bandaid” on the affected skin.
What is Jewelweed Lawsone?
A naturally occurring chemical component of jewelweed leaf, lawsone, fights inflammation and redness while also serving as an organic antihistamine, calming and regulating the body’s natural histamine response.
What is the difference between orange jewelweed and pale yellow jewelweed?
Both the orange jewelweed (also known as spotted touch-me-not, referring to the fun habit of the pods to spring open and explode their seeds like fireworks) and the pale yellow variety have beautifully delicate orchid-like blossoms.
Does Jewelweed grow in the forest?
Jewelweed often grows within close proximity of pois on ivy and is the perfect antidote for the inflammation and discomfort it can induce. Those who suffer from intense reactions to poison ivy will be happy to learn that jewelweed is its forest companion plant and effectively counteracts its heat and redness.
Can jewelweed be used after sun exposure?
Post-procedure, following a bout of bug bites or rashes, or after sun exposure or even radiation or any other potentially skin-damaging activity are all ideal times to use products containing jewelweed. It’s wonderful for especially sensitive skin that doesn’t respond well to synthetic products.
Taxonomy
- Scientific Name(s): Impatiens balsamina L., Impatiens biflora Willd., Impatiens capensis Meerb., Impatiens pallida Nutt.
Names
- Common Name(s): Garden balsam, Jewel balsam weed, Jewel weed, Jewelweed, Touch-me-not, Zhi hin nonxe thionbaba (Native Americans, the Omaha)
Uses
- Jewelweed is most commonly known for its antipruritic use in the treatment of poison ivy rash. It has also been used as an agent to promote blood flow, for postchildbirth and joint pain, bruises and swelling, and as an antidote to fish poisoning. However, there is no clinical information available to support its use for any indication. Crushed jewe...
Contraindications
- Contraindications have not been identified. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking. Traditional use as an emmenagogue suggests caution. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking. Considering its traditional use as an emmenagogue9 use in pregnancy should probably be avoided until further …
Ecology
- Impatiens capensis and the closely related I. balsamina are tender, succulent herbs commonly found at wet woodland borders, shaded riverbanks, and roadside ditches, which are locations also preferred by poison ivy. They grow 2 to 5 feet in height and either bear orange to yellow, or pink to purple flowers, respectively, and are commonly grown as bedding and house plants.Motz 2012 J…
Chemistry
- Chemical compounds identified in the white petals of I. balsamina include kaempferol, kaempferol 3-glucoside, kaempferol 3-rutinoside, kaempferol 3-rhamnosyldiglucoside, quercetin, quercetin 3-rutinoside, 2-hydroxy 1,4-napthoquinone, and 2-methoxy 1,4-napthoquinone.Ishiguro 1997 Aerial parts of balsamina contain phenolics, flavonols, anthocyanin pigments, quinones, an…
Research
- Compounds having antibacterial and antifungal activity have been isolated from the aerial parts of I. balsaminaYang 2001 as well as from the seeds.Patel 1998, Tailor 1997 The potential may be limited to the plant's ability to resist pathogens, despite the reported traditional use of jewelweed tea for systemic and fungal infections.Yang 2001 Neither antimicrobial nor antifungal activity w…
Safety
- Research reveals little information regarding adverse reactions with the topical use of this product. Use of Impatiens spp tea has been reported to cause digestive upset, while consumption of the whole plant induces vomiting and diuresis.Motz 2012
Toxicity
- There are no published reports of toxicity associated with the topical use of jewelweed extracts. The safety of internal ingestion is not well-defined.
Risks
- This information relates to an herbal, vitamin, mineral or other dietary supplement. This product has not been reviewed by the FDA to determine whether it is safe or effective and is not subject to the quality standards and safety information collection standards that are applicable to most prescription drugs. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this pro…
Resources
- Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.