Double Impatiens

Double Impatiens (ముద్ద నీళ్ల గోరింట)  

My association with impatiens (నీళ్ల గోరింట) goes back many years. It was in the village I first noticed this vibrant flowering plant. The flowers (single ones) in hot summer days barely last a day. Some of the flowers yield seeds for the next growing season. The common English name “impatiens” is attributed to its seedpods – they are so impatient to sprout (regenerate) that at the right temperature or moment they just crack open and disperse the little (globular) seedlings into the air – to distribute their offspring in far off fields. 

In the tropical coastal village we come across this plant with many colors. Right after the monsoon rains they invariably sprout in the (same old) garden patch without much help. The Telugu name says, “Water Gorinta”. The vernacular Indian name, its etymology is worth pondering. Many plant (i.e., common) names have vivid history and meaning in the folklore.  The modern classification (credited to Carl Linnaeus) gives a binomial name – somewhat similar to the human personal identification. And then there is the whole long parade of DNA etc., giving each individual plant its unique genetic sequence; but it requires a modern ultra sensitive lab and full access to lots of databases for proper identification. I am reminded about the difficulties of old times with X-ray (or electron) diffraction patterns, their application for the identification of crystal structures.

Now, let’s ask the simple question: Why did the earlier Telugu farmers and housewives name this plant as “nilla Gorinta”? nilla = water. The plant’s stem and leaf parts are succulent; they hold water (at least aqueous). To understand Gorinta, we need to probe further. It appears in China (and other parts of Asia) people used the leaves, flowers, and alum to color fingernails – sort of a homemade nail polish. Mehindi (Gorinta, Lasum Albania) is also used for coloring hands and nails. So, probably that is how the name in Telugu “nilla Gorinta నీళ్ల గోరింట” came to be. But what a wonderful plant this Balsamina? With varied colors, height, and leaf designs it covers a whole range of geographical areas: South Asia, Himalayas, Africa, and North America. Through human intervention the species has spread to every continent now. 

As a school going kid my fascination with nature was colorful just like the vibrant six seasons in the tropical Indian subcontinent. That was then – a time in the distant past with vivid sounds and colors. The summers brought us jasmines, Cashmere bouquet, and the sweet smelling mangoes. The dry hot summers were followed with heavy downpours of the monsoon season. In the village the rainy season meant trudging through the sticky muddy roads and watching the centipedes multiply overnight. They would try to intrude into the house through the open veranda and question the strict boundaries between “a dwelling” and “muddy garden”. But then the wet season also brought to our doorstep lots of aromatic gardenia flowers, champaka, and the profuse colorful “impatiens”. I could never figure out how the impatiens popped up suddenly, almost overnight from previous season's seeds. Mostly in the hot tropical days the flowers would stay fresh just for one day and then slowly wither away. We must pay our debt and gratitude to many farmers, housewives, and young children for preserving many plants. At a time when we are constantly losing many plants and fauna we are fortunate to have lots of impatiens, marigolds, and mums still in our midst. A wealth of herbal medical compounds is present in these plants. The humble mint alone can help us with many stomach disorders. 

Now, coming to this double impatiens. We got this plant probably from the local Farmers Market. Now it is almost three years old. Normally impatiens plants are annual ones (here in the containers); we have to keep growing them from seeds or cuttings for each season. This double flower variety (cultivar) has no seeds; that is how the growers make money. But it is easy to grow from the cuttings. Just take a two or three inch cutting and stick into the moist soil. Here, in the northeast US the winters are very cold and hard. We have to bring the potted plant indoors for the cold season. With minimum watering and some reasonable light the plant survives the winter. Then as the spring arrives it becomes very lively and starts putting new leaves and growth.  

Mostly the potted impatiens plant (Cf. jewelweed in the wild) is considered as an annual. Our double impatiens is more than three years old.  Many potted plants complain about getting their feet wet during heavy downpours. But this impatiens thrives in excess water. It puts out more flowers during such wet days. On such days the plant looks like a cluster of braids with heavy double flowers. It appears that the three-year-old container plant is behaving more like a perennial little shrub than an annual flowering plant.

For any herbal doctor this plant is a veritable source of organic compounds; they have identified almost three hundred compounds. The plant’s leaves, stems, and roots are utilized for a number of ailments: rheumatism, pain, fractures, inflammation of nails, scurvy, carbuncles, and bruises, etc. The organic compounds are extracted (separated) with either hexane or aqueous-alcohol mixtures.

In closing I want to remember two personalities that helped me understand plants and nature more intimately. Long time back the south Indian newspaper used to run a column on gardening by a horticulturist (R. R.). Those weekend articles used to be fun to read and they were very informative. Here in US for several decades J. W. would treat us to the wonders of birds, turtles, and nature on weekend radio program. We came to appreciate the value of wetlands (చిత్తడి నేలలు) through such experts. Wetlands preserve nature’s diversity, soil fertility, and they act as efficient buffer zones to protect the adjacent urban centers from heavy floods. I want to express my gratitude to such stewards of natural beauty. My articles on gardening may serve as a token of appreciation of such simple people. Copyright 2026 by the author

Basil

In Telugu we call it as ‘Rudra Jada’. Roughly it translates the epithet as Siva’s braid (tresses). Either it implies growing into a large bush quickly or the very aromatic flower stalks. In the village many of our friends’ homes are adorned with this cousin of our sacred Basil (the Tulasi). It is possible the plant has some repellent effects on mosquitoes and thus creates healthy ambience around the house periphery. Mosquitoes (particularly the vector of either malaria or equine encephalitis) and ticks pose great debilitating diseases for children as well as adults. 

Like the sacred Basil (Tulasi) this plant too can be grown with small cuttings or seeds. I keep some dried seeds (the flower clumps) tucked away safely in a dry place. But like many being a bit lazy I simply pick the seedlings from the local Farmers Market. Sweet Basil is a favorite plant here for many Europeans, specially the Italians. And every year the 3 inch long seedlings are sold for a dollar. We just transplant the seedlings into a large pot and it grows vigorously and puts on a few flowers. We cut the fresh aromatic leaves and store them in the fridge for months in a perforated plastic pouch. You can use them in some dishes as you like it; the leaves are delicate, so it is better to add to the culinary dish after the flame is switched off. That way you can retain the freshness of the leaves with its gentle aroma (flavor). We do not use it much in our cooking as we have plenty of coriander and curry leaf at our disposal. The coriander (cilantro) has become routinely available through out the year now. We have the curry leaf plant in a large container – and that takes care of the garnishing needs for sambar, upma, rasam, flavored buttermilk, and other curries, etc. So, we grow this sweet Basil for fun, for show, and for gifting to friends.

Now, some of the medicinal uses of this plant are as follows: In summer the seeds are useful for making tasty “sherbet”. The seeds when soaked in water get swollen and they develop a slippery soft (white) cover (sort of gelatinous coating). The fully swollen seeds with a bit of sugar form the base for a summer drink (sherbet). We can add a bit of finely grated ice and food colorant and there you get a refreshing drink for hot summer days. This low cost drink is good for children to relieve excessive dehydration and summer fatigue. In fact, in the village I used to buy this drink at the weekly Farmers Market (santa/sandai సంత ). That was the only treat I could afford after finishing all the shopping of vegetables for an entire week.

In Hindi and Urdu the plant is known as Sabja and the seeds are known as Sabja seeds. It is also known as Viswa Tulasi. The plant’s medicinal value is as follows: It cools the body, resolves early urinary difficulties (due to heat, dripping), and helps with headaches and earaches. The plant is also beneficial for neutralizing scorpion poison. Recently sweet Basil has been studied (NIH paper) for memory retention. For elders, memory and cognitive function abilities are very important. So, munch on some sweet Basil and gorge on green leafy vegetables like cabbage (and its cousins like broccoli and Brussels sprouts).