Impatiens

Impatiens walleriana (garden impatiens, busy Lizzie), I. hawkeri (New Guinea impatiens) and interspecific hybrids such as SunPatiens · Balsam family (Balsaminaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	10 to 12
Sun	part shade
Water	high
Life cycle	tender perennial (grown as an annual)
Frost	Tender: killed by frost
Spacing	8 to 18 inches

About Impatiens

Impatiens are the classic flowers for shady beds, pots and hanging baskets, blooming from late spring to frost. Garden impatiens have small leaves and 1-2 inch flowers; New Guinea impatiens have big bronze, purple or striped leaves and larger flowers, and take a bit more sun. Since impatiens downy mildew arrived, garden impatiens can collapse in late summer, so New Guinea types, interspecific hybrids like SunPatiens, and bred-resistant garden series (Beacon, Imara XDR) are the safer picks (Clemson, Purdue, Wisconsin).

Grown as a summer annual almost everywhere; garden impatiens are perennial only in zones 10-11 and New Guinea impatiens in 10-12 (NC State). UF/IFAS predicts garden impatiens will be invasive in Florida and doesn't recommend it there, and it has naturalized in Hawaii and Florida.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Start seeds indoors: 6 to 10 weeks before the last frost
Set out plants: up to 2 weeks after the last frost

Start seed indoors 6-10 weeks ahead and set plants out after the last frost once hardened off; buying plants is faster (Clemson). Space compact kinds 8-10 inches apart and tall ones about 18 inches; crowding makes them leggy. NC State notes seed-grown plants can take several months to bloom, so no days-to-bloom count is given. To keep a favorite over winter, take stem cuttings in fall, grow them indoors and replant after the last frost (NC State).

Soil

Rich, moist soil high in organic matter that drains well; mulch to hold moisture, and keep it moist but not soggy (Clemson, NC State).

Work in organic matter so the bed is rich and holds moisture but still drains; use a well-drained soilless mix in pots (Clemson).

Feeding

About once a month from planting through summer: water-soluble fertilizer. Feed monthly; plants under trees and in containers often need a little more water and fertilizer because of root competition and frequent watering (Clemson).

Don't let plants wilt (they drop leaves and flowers), but don't keep them soggy either, which invites rot (Clemson, NC State). Avoid overhead watering and crowding, which favor downy mildew (Wisconsin).

Harvest

Blooms from late spring to frost (May to October). Impatiens are self-cleaning, so there's no need to deadhead (Clemson); if plants look leggy in late summer, trim off the top third to bring on fresh flowers (NC State).

Varieties (20)

Variety	Type	Notes
Accent series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Dwarf plants with large flowers that bloom all summer in shade.
Beacon series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Garden impatiens bred for much better resistance to many races of impatiens downy mildew; NC State calls 'Beacon' highly resistant.
Blitz	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Big 2 1/2-inch flowers; tolerates more heat and drought than most.
Carousel	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Has the highest share of fully double flowers.
Dazzler series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	9-11 in tall and 13-15 in wide in shade; good in containers.
DeZire series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	8-10 in tall and 12-14 in wide in shade; for beds, pots and baskets.
Expo series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	12-16 in tall and 12-14 in wide in shade.
Fiesta series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Double, rose-like flowers on plants 10-14 in tall; shade or part sun.
Imara XDR series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Garden impatiens bred for better resistance to many downy mildew races.
Impreza series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	Compact, 8-10 in tall and 6-8 in wide in shade; stems flop less.
Super Elfin series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)	8-10 in tall and 12-14 in wide in shade; heat tolerant. Super Elfin XP is the more uniform version.
Tempo series	Garden impatiens (I. walleriana)
Bounce and Big Bounce	Interspecific hybrid impatiens	Downy mildew-resistant hybrids for part sun; Bounce 14-20 in tall, Big Bounce 20-30 in tall with bigger flowers.
SunPatiens (Compact, Spreading, Vigorous)	Interspecific hybrid impatiens	Downy mildew-resistant hybrids that take part shade to full sun and flower until frost; 14 in to over 3 ft tall depending on the type.
Celebration series	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	10-16 in tall and wide for part to full sun; 'Celebration Light Lavender' has lavender flowers over green-and-cream leaves.
Celebrette series	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	Compact, 8-10 in tall, for part to full shade.
Clockwork series	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	8-10 in tall for shade to part sun.
Devine series	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	10-14 in tall for part sun; green to bronze-green leaves.
Harmony series	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	10-18 in tall and wide; blooms early and steadily until fall and has good leaf spot resistance.
Tango	New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)	Extra-large orange flowers on 15-inch plants; one of the few New Guineas grown from seed.

Pests to watch for

Aphids, Twospotted spider mite, Thrips, Mealybugs, Slugs, Brown garden snail

Diseases and problems

Impatiens downy mildew, Powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, Damping off, Southern blight, Impatiens necrotic spot

In the kitchen

Pets: Non-toxic to dogs and cats (ASPCA, listed as Impatience Plant / Patient Lucy, Impatiens spp.); the ASPCA entry doesn't rate horses.

Sources

Photo: Photo: Forest and Kim Starr / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 US (CC BY 3.0 US). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.