Jewelweed

Dear Lilliputian ,

This is a photo of the Jewelweed flower and seed pod . Another name for this plant is 

Touch Me Not . The reason it is called Touch Me Not . . . is because if you touch the little green seed pod it pops right out of your hand like it doesn't want you to touch it . This seed pod , when fully ripe is designed to cast its seeds   up to eight feet into the air . If you click on the video link below you will see how the seed pod jumps into the air .

 Remember . . . we have talked about how seeds have different ways of making sure that they get planted , the Touch Me Not plant is just one more that has a special way to send it seeds to fertile ground . I am writing to tell you about these flowers because they are growing wild right now and if you see this little orange flower . . . look even closer to see if you see the little green seed pod and then just lightly touch the seed pod and it will jump away from your finger tips . . . It is so much fun to do . I know if you find a Touch Me Not bush growing near you , you will stay there for quite some time touching all the seed pods you can .

One more thing about the Touch Me Not bush or plant is that its leaves have very tiny fine hairs on them . You may not see them . . . but if  you hold the leave under water the tiny hairs keep the water from touching the leave , sort of  like the way a rain coat doesn't let the rain touch you . And, if you hold the leave under water by its stem in the sun light , and you turn the leave just right it looks like it  is made of silver metal . It is sort of like a magic trick .

Well , that is all I know about Touch Me Not . . . but down below I wanted to show you one more video of a very fascinating way that some seeds are able to plant themselves . As you know , when you click on the arrow in the middle it starts the video , but also in the right hand corner there will be a kind of square box . . . click on that and it will make the video larger so you can see this amazing seed in action .  I am always sooooo impressed with what is going on in nature . We walk out our back doors and just feel the warm sun and listen to the quiet chirping of the crickets . . . but little do we realize all that is really happening . . . seeds flying through the air , seeds working so hard to drill into the earth below our feet , other seeds waiting patiently for an ant to come along and take it to its ant home . . . It is a busy world we live in . . . take a few minutes to discover something new and exciting about your world .





As you , or some of you have just started back to school . . .  I won't recommend a new book for you to read because I bet you are all rather busy getting use to your days at school . Learn all you can .

Until next time ,
Wild bee