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Botanical illustration of Jewelweed
MedicinalSourced entry

Jewelweed

Impatiens capensis

A North American wildflower crushed into a mash by Native American tribes for poison ivy rash. Studies are mixed: fresh mash helped prevent a rash, but soap worked better.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Jewelweed?

Plant family
Balsaminaceae, the balsam and touch-me-not family
Parts used
The fresh leaves and stems, crushed into a mash
Where it grows
Eastern and Midwestern United States and Canada
Genus
Impatiens
Species
capensis

Also called

Spotted Touch-me-not, Impatiens capensis

Traditionally used for

  • Poison ivy rash (traditional)

Traditionally described as

    Health topics

    Where Jewelweed appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

    Traditions that use it

    • Native American Ethnobotany

      Many Native American tribes used crushed jewelweed to treat or prevent rashes from poison ivy and stinging nettle.

    What does the research say?

    Traditional use

    These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

    • Jewelweed grows in the eastern and midwestern US and Canada. Many Native American tribes crushed it into a mash to treat or prevent rashes from plants such as poison ivy and stinging nettle.[1]Study

    Research in people

    • In a small 1997 trial, 10 volunteers had poison ivy resin applied to their skin. An extract of fresh jewelweed stems didn't reduce the rash any more than water.[2]Study

    • In a 2012 study, poison ivy was brushed onto volunteers' forearms. Fresh jewelweed mash rubbed on afterwards reduced the rash that developed, but ordinary soap worked better. Jewelweed extracts didn't work.[1]Study

    • A 2015 study of 23 volunteers found that saponins, natural soap-like compounds in jewelweed, reduced poison ivy rash. Soaps with or without jewelweed also worked.[3]Study

    Sources

    1. [1] The effectiveness of jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, the related cultivar I. balsamina and the component, lawsone in preventing post poison ivy exposure contact dermatitis · DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.06.038Peer-reviewed study
    2. [2] Treatment of poison ivy/oak allergic contact dermatitis with an extract of jewelweed · DOI: 10.1016/S1046-199X(97)90095-6Peer-reviewed study
    3. [3] Efficacy of the saponin component of Impatiens capensis Meerb. in preventing urushiol-induced contact dermatitis · DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.024Peer-reviewed study

    This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.