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Planting and Growing Impatiens

impatiens

Colorful impatiens!

Image Credit:
Klever_ok/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Impatiens
Grown as
Tender Perennial
USDA Zones
10a
10b
11a
11b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
Partial Shade
Shade
Water Needs
High
Height
Under 1 foot
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Hummingbirds
Attracts Pollinators
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Andy Wilcox Master Gardener and Gardening Contributor

Looking for a flower that thrives where others fade? If you want nonstop color in shady spots, it’s time to learn how to grow impatiens. These easy-care annuals light up porches, hanging baskets, and garden beds with vibrant blooms all season long. 

Whether you’re planting impatiens in containers or filling in a shaded border, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know for healthy, happy plants.

Impatiens are very popular as both a bedding and a hanging plant. Also called Busy Lizzies, these beauties are low-maintenance and don’t even need pinching! 

Of short to medium height, most impatiens varieties grow 8 to 15 inches tall, although some types reach 30 inches. They are perennials in frost-free areas but are grown as annuals or houseplants everywhere else.

Use impatiens for a splash of all-season color in any area that receives partial shade. Because of their shallow root system and low height, impatiens are ideally suited to containers like hanging baskets, window boxes, or deck railing planters. They also work well in the filler role in larger containers. 

Orange impatiens in a hanging basket.
Orange impatiens in a hanging basket. Credit: Yui Yuize

Planting

Impatiens are usually purchased from a nursery or as liners (small starter plants) from an online vendor. Most impatiens thrive in filtered or partial shade. Protection from the hot afternoon sun will help to maintain their colors. Some newer varieties grow well in sunny areas. 

When to Plant Impatiens 

Transplant impatiens well after the last spring frost, when night temperatures have stabilized above 40°F. Impatiens started from seed will need to be sown indoors about 12 weeks before your last frost date, so plan ahead.

Where to Plant Impatiens

  • Impatiens prefer humus-rich, moist, and well-drained soil.
  • Choose a location with some shelter from the wind.
  • Soil pH should be slightly acidic, in the 6.0-6.5 range, but they are not picky. Unless your soil is far from that zone, you won’t need to amend it to change the pH.
  • The closer impatiens plants are, the taller they will grow, so space accordingly (impatiens plants can grow anywhere between 6 and 30 inches tall). For flower beds, space plants 8 to 12 inches apart to keep them bushy and low to the ground.
  • Mix in compost or a slow-release fertilizer before transplanting.

How to Plant Impatiens

To transplant impatiens:

  • Harden off impatiens purchased from a greenhouse or nursery.
  • Work compost or well-rotted manure into the soil.
  • Make a hole slightly larger than the pot or container.
  • Remove the young impatiens, loosening any container-bound or girdling roots.
  • Tuck in your impatiens, firming the soil around it to prevent air pockets.
  • Water in well, and mulch.

To start impatiens from seed:

  • Prepare a tray or several pots with pre-moistened seed starting mix and compost.
  • Apply a light layer of vermiculite over the top of the soil mix.
  • Sow seeds directly on the surface of the vermiculite and tap or press lightly to ensure contact. Do not cover with soil.
  • Mist seeds with water.
  • Cover the tray or pots with a humidity dome or clear plastic to keep moisture in.
  • Place in a brightly lit area.

Seeds should germinate in 14 to 20 days. Remove the plastic when the second set of leaves appears. When seedlings are one inch tall, transplant them into individual pots or cells and grow out. Remember to harden them off before planting outdoors. 

Growing

Impatiens are not fussy and, if planted in the correct location, will thrive with little effort—one of the reasons they are popular.

  • The most important thing to remember about impatiens is to water them regularly. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. If the plants dry out, they will lose their leaves. If you over-water the plants, it encourages fungal diseases.
  • Container-grown impatiens will benefit from fertilizer applied every 2 weeks when watering.
  • Deadheading, while not strictly necessary, will improve their appearance and encourage more blooms.
purple New guinea impatiens flowers
New guinea impatiens flowers. Credit: Amam ka/SS

Overwintering Impatiens

Impatiens are hardy in Zones 10-12, but even a light frost will kill them. If you have a favorite color you’d like to overwinter, either take cuttings or dig up the plant and bring it inside. Depending on your available sunlight and day length, a grow light may be necessary.

Propagating Impatiens

Impatiens can be easily propagated from stem cuttings—a great way to get more of a favorite color or gift it to a friend. At the end of the growing season, taking cuttings and growing them over the winter may be easier than digging up entire plants and trying to keep them alive in the house. 

  • Inspect your plant to make sure it is pest-free.
  • Sanitize your shears with alcohol.
  • Choose several strong stems and snip them 4–6 inches below the bloom.
  • Remove the flower and all but the upper one or two pairs of leaves.
  • Place the cuttings in a clear glass container filled with clean water. If your water is treated by your municipality, let the water sit on the counter for 24 hours first to allow most of the chemicals to dissipate.
  • In a week or two, when fine white roots appear, transition the cuttings to the soil in one of two ways:
    • Plant them in individual pots filled with moist potting mix.
    • Add a bit of potting mix to your glass container daily until it is completely filled with soil after a week. After filling the jar with soil, remove the plants and repot.

Pests and Problems

Types

Ornamental impatiens are primarily from two groups, Impatiens walleriana and New Guinea impatiens, Impatiens hawkeri. The two look different, but growing them is pretty much the same. I. wallerina cultivars are less tolerant of sunshine than the New Guinea hybrids, and the latter has larger foliage. 

  • Lollipop series (I. walleriana) ‘Fruit Punch Rose’ is a compact, well-branched variety with superbly vivid colors. 
  • Tom Thumb Series (I. balsamina) is a dwarf variety with large, double, brightly colored flowers.
  • Beacon® impatiens are highly resistant to downy mildew and will keep blooming reliably until frost.
  • Swirl Series (I. walleriana) has pretty pink and orange flowers with petals in red.

Wit and Wisdom

  • The genus name, Impatiens, is a Latin word describing how its seeds shoot out of its pods when ripe (the slightest touch can make a ripe impatiens seed pod burst open and scatter its contents). 
  • Deer often find impatiens to be quite tasty. Consider the prevalence of four-legged garden pests when deciding where to plant these flowers.
  • Rose balsam (Impatiens balsamina) makes football-shaped pods that burst when touched, which is why their common name is touch-me-not. 

Flowers
Shade Gardening

About The Author

Andy Wilcox

Andy Wilcox

Master Gardener and Gardening Contributor

Andy Wilcox is a flower farmer and master gardener with a passion for soil health, small producers, forestry, and horticulture.

Read more from Andy Wilcox

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Comments

<span>Nancy Charley</span> Tue, 09/24/2013 - 12:55
many years ago I got a start of an impatien from my mother-in-law as an indoor plant. all the plants grew quite tall like 3 feet and got real bushy, I have never got one to do that since. were they different, how can I get one to do that again.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Sat, 09/28/2013 - 08:36
We don't know her secrets, but the success of a plant usually has to do with how it got its start and soil preparation. For example, was it started indoors with a heated germination mat. For an indoor plant, use a potting mix soil such as Sunshine Mix. Also, be sure to do a weekly grooming, removing dead leaves and stems and pinching off spent blossoms. At the end of summer, pinch the tips of the stems back about three or four inches with pruners for a more compact shape. The blooming will stop temporarily but this will lead to the bushy shape you're seeking.
<span>Lori Hawaiian</span> Mon, 09/23/2013 - 21:05
I live in Hawaii. We do not have extreme weather. Although my Impatiens bloom beautifully, why do the leaves sometimes crinkle rather than grow straight? Thank you!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/24/2013 - 09:27

Diseases, pests, or too much fertilizer may cause curling leaves. In Hawaii, impatiens are often attacked by broad mites. These suck sap from leaves (especially young leaves), causing crinkling, puckering, curling, and/or wilting leaves. Corky, brown areas may be evident. The mites also may attack flower buds, and are especially troublesome during the cool, wet, winter season. Broad mites are very tiny and hard to see; they usually feed on the leaf undersides. Mite predators help to control them. For more information, you might try contacting your local Cooperative Extension:

 

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Site/counties.aspx

 <span>Krysti</span> Mon, 09/23/2013 - 16:37
Hi. I have recently moved from a zone 5 to a zone 8 coastal area in Washington State so having to learn about flower care all over again. My question is, how do I overwinter Impatiens for this area that has LOTS of coastal rain in the winter months? Do I cut them back and leave them outside, or will they need to be moved inside? Although it does not freeze here, my concern is the constant soggy winter ground damaging the roots (rot). If I do have to bring them inside, when I pot them should I cut them back to force dormancy or just leave them as is and try to give them as much light as possible and hope for the best?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 09/24/2013 - 09:04

Impatiens do best in Zones 10 and 11 for overwintering. In Zone 8, it would probably be best to pot them up and take them indoors for the winter. Place them in bright indirect light and reduce watering for the winter season. For more advice, we'd recommend contacting your county's Cooperative Extension service; they'd be most familiar with plant care in your area. You can find contact information at:

 

http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services

 

Also, please be aware that Impatiens walleriana and cultivars (and the wild jewelweed) are experiencing more and more trouble with downy mildew, including in the Pacific Northwest. Garden centers are beginning to offer more alternatives, including New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri), which doesn't seem to be affected at this point. You might look into that species instead, to avoid problems.

 <span>Bruce Herman</span> Tue, 09/03/2013 - 11:13
My gardener removed all of my impatiens when he put lime on my lawn. Is this normal?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 09/05/2013 - 11:56

Were these planted in a bed? Impatiens like a soil pH of about 60 to 6.5, but can tolerate it a bit higher. Adding lime to the soil raises the pH (makes it more alkaline). Depending on what pH the gardener was aiming for in the lawn, the impatiens may or may not have been happy.

 

However, unless you are having other changes to the landscape that would change the cultural conditions of the impatiens (light, water, soil, etc.), such as planting a shrub that would change the lighting, or installing a sprinkler system right where the impatiens were, then it's puzzling why they'd need to be removed if they were still flowering. Our suggestion is to ask your gardener about it.

 <span>Mountainmillie</span> Mon, 08/26/2013 - 14:16
I plant Impatiens in a barrel under a tree every year and they do beautifully, including this year, until all of a sudden they got yellow and looked dead! I cut down on water, fertilized, they are still dying. I am reading about downey mildew, do we get that in Colorado where the humidity is zilch? They always have daddy-long-leg spiders but I haven't noticed mites? what do do??thanks!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 08/27/2013 - 17:52

Yes, it sounds as if you have a fungus.Remove infected plants and see if you can control further disease development with a  regular fungicide spray application. Check with your local garden center.