Growing Impatiens

Avid gardeners are growing impatiens all over the U.S. There are good reasons for this. Impatiens, sometimes called Busy Lizzys, are colorful, easy to grow, and they are one of the few annuals that will bloom profusely in the shade.



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There are several different types of impatiens:

  • New Guinea impatiens offer variegated foliage and larger blooms.

  • Double impatiens with its "miniature rose" flowers.

  • Sun impatiens which are bred to grow in full sun.

  • Yellow impatiens, a color breakthrough.

  • Impatiens balsamina with its tall stems and more upright growth habit.

  • Impatiens capensis bears little orange, orchid-like flowers.

    • There is truly a Busy Lizzy for every garden.

    Native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique, these tender perennials are usually grown as annuals. Most types are root hardy to roughly 25 degrees F. though the top growth will be destroyed.If you have a special variety or color that you wish to preserve, this can easily be accomplished by taking 5 inch tip cuttings. Cuttings will root easily and quickly in water or soil and can spend the winter on a windowsill. A kitchen or bathroom window would be ideal as the humidity will be higher.



    Planting Impatiens Under Trees

    Impatiens under trees with bromeliads. Busy Lizzys put on a splendid color show when massed under trees. They enjoy the shade and frost protection the tree gives but must contend with the much larger and more established tree roots for food and water. Here's how you can care for impatiens when planting them under trees:

    1. Set each plant into a pocket of soil deep enough for it to establish a healthy root system. Five inches will serve.

    2. Add a handful of organic compost to the planting hole and mix in a little slow release fertilizer.

    3. Once all the plants are in place, add a pine straw mulch between them. Pine straw is airy and will not rot the succulent stems of the plants, but it will add organic matter to the soil and keep it cooler and more moist.

    4. Feed once a month with a bloom booster.

    5. Lastly, watch your plants. It's normal for such thin leaved plants to droop in the middle of a summer afternoon. If they are still sagging the next morning, they need more water. If they begin to flower less abundantly, they need an extra feeding.



    Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus

    If you are growing impatiens that suddenly become stunted, develop brown or yellow circles on the leaves, or black or brown stem discoloration they may be infected with INSV.

    This serious disease is spread by western flower thrips. Many other garden plants (more than 300 species) are vulnerable to it. There is no cure and the infection is often fatal. The best way to protect your plant collection is to destroy any plant you believe to be infected.

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    New Guinea Impatiens

    If you are growing impatiens in a brighter area, this is the variety you want to plant.

    Go from Growing Impatiens to Plant Guides Home Page



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