Kiss me on the Mountain ....

..... or Himalayan Balsam. Member of the Impatiens family, this plant was introduced from the Himalayas [where else] and now proliferates, growing as tall as 6 feet. I see it the length of the country, in Scotland and in West Sussex where I live. Highly invasive, it is quite pretty with its pink hooded flowers and long flowering season, from June to October. It has a rather aggressive form of scattering its seed by explosion at the least touch, and produces high levels of nectar which attracts pollinators. But I wonder what native species it's pushing out.

It was overcast till the moment I pressed the button to load this picture, when the sun suddenly came out and Mull appeared for the first time today. You would not believe this pic was taken in pouring rain with hardly any light at all.

When I look up the uses of Himalayan Balsam, the internet tells me that its green seed pods, seeds, young leaves and shoots are all edible, but I haven't been able to verify this with a reliable source. So all in all, I'd much rather be kissed on the mountain than try it ....