PlantFiles: Balsam, Busy Lizzy, Buzzy Lizzy, Impatiens
Impatiens walleriana

These plants are very nice ones. They are very durable and the seeds always grow when they fresh. Plus you get a whole choice of many colours of the flowers that you can select. These plants produce flowers and seed pods very quickly. When ready, the seed pods unfold so quickly it looks like they are exploding, spreading their fresh seeds in a showers all over the place. I recomend this plant for starting gardeners.

There is a great deal of shade in my back yard so I depend heavily on these lovely flowers for color and they never fail to deliver. I have them beneath trees and on the patio in pots of many shapes and sizes. My favorite arrangement is one I discovered this past year. I planted a big bowlful of red impatiens amid some white leafed caladiums, both lovers of water. The caladium leaves rise above the impatiens and provide contrast both in color and shape. Oh my, what a sight. I will always have a bowl of that arrangement on my patio.

When I first added these to my garden last year, I was told that they wouldn't last long in the Texas heat, but they have absolutely thrived in my yard. They bloom constantly from March until early December. Some of my plants last year were huge, up to two feet tall at the end of the year. This year I have a border across my entire yard, so I've been taking cuttings to keep the larger ones in check, and my flowers are the envy of the neighborhood. They need a good soaking every day or two, but even lasted well through drought and hot conditions all last summer, and have tolerated lots of direct sunlight.

Beautiful plants but they do need a lot more water than most other plants I grow. One plant can fill a x-large planter in the right growing conditions.

I've had success with all of my "accent" impatiens except for one plant which baffles me because it has been taken care of in the same manner as all of the others I have, including the one right next to it which is flourishing. Other than that I have had a completely positive experience with them. My favorites of this variety are the bright coral and the red, which are both so striking.

Have had trouble growing from seed, but those I purchased as 3-1/2" bedding plants last summer and placed at the base of my crown flower are beautiful. Did have a couple rot, but the 2 that made it are huge. Hot summer now so need to water daily, if they've wilted, they revive quickly. Deffinate keepers in my garden, will always find a place for some. advantage to buying as bedding plants is you already know the colors, so can arrange as you like rather than leaving it totally to Mother Nature.

I love the look of these plants and grew them for years, especially the exotic looking "New Guinea" ones. But here in hot Florida with our extremely well-drained sandy soils, they have to be watered twice a day, and this is just too much for me, so I have given up on them. I do admire them in garden centers and shady gardens as I drive by. They are especially attractive in flower beds massed under spreading live oak trees, surrounded by border or monkey grass--Liriope or Ophiopogon.

Even in pots, with our Summer heat they have to be watered much more frequently than my other potted plants, so growing them just becomes a nuisance.

I prune mine back and start the cuttings in small pots or directly where I want them to grow. They tend to get leggy if they aren't pruned. You certainly don't need many as the seeds and cuttings can fill a shady meadow in no time.

They are wonderful to grow inside, full of color. We call them "Wealth of the house" and it is thought that if they are full of flowers the house will be rich. They are easy to grow and they have many wonderful colors.

Indispensable summer annual in my zone 5 1/2-6 gardens, pots, hanging baskets & wall bags. Will grow in a fair bit of sun, but only if well watered frequently. Otherwise shade to morning sun is best & they still require plenty of water. Does not require pinching or dead heading. I prefer the single variety over the newer doubles as the doubles tend to be messy in that they are constantly dropping their spent blooms. I also prefer the single over the Sunshine Impatiens, which is a misnomer, as regular, old impatiens are more prolific bloomers & have a better color range. I use triple mix with added composted cattle manure & use a water soluable fertilizer weekly. I buy my impatiens in cell packs, which are inexpensive rather than starting them from seed. Impatiens truly are a lot of bang for the buck & can quickly fill-up bare spots in the garden & add a sense of color flow when interspersed with perennials & used as an edging. Try combo's of red & white, pink & white, mauve & coral, purple & coral or create a "crazy quilt" effect with all colors!

It's pretty, colorful... but may turn into a pest if you don't remove the early developed fruits. Depending on where you live and where you grow it, it could spread into native vegetation areas, harming native species that can't grow nor reproduce so fast.

They dislike hot sunlight and so prefers shaded and moist (not wet) place. If the soil does not drain well, it rots. Terminal cuttings can grow well. Till now, I have found it difficult to collect seeds - I notice the green pod and when I opened them the seeds were raw. When I waited for a similar one to mature, it had exploded off. I don't think its pods will get yellowish on maturity like its Balsam counterpart. So it has become difficult for me to know when the seeds mature in the delicate and tender-looking pods. But they reseed itself easily and it is invaluable in the garden for wonderful colour.

What would we do without these bright, colorful annuals to fill in those shady spots every summer? The only criticism I have of them is that they are somewhat susceptible to rot problems if the soil doesn't drain well, and I've seen insect problems occur occasionally. But treat them halfway decent and they'll bloom their hearts out for you.

Take cuttings in the fall, stick them in water and you'll have rooted cuttings to pot up and bloom throughout the winter, ready to go back outside in the spring.

Gorgeous, dependable flower. In the south, they do not handle the sun very well, but will survive given they get enough water. They prefer some shade and occassional fertilizer.

One of the most popular annuals for gardens, mass planting, and containers. Features a wide range of colorful large flowers on compact plants. Blooms reliably in heavy shade.
Makes a good winter houseplant.