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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>Birmsa</span> Fri, 07/19/2013 - 21:32
I have an impatien that I bought about a month ago at a local farmer's market. I currently have it sitting in my dorm room on the windowsill facing the east. It has continued to bloom quite nicely and I was wondering how long I can expect to see blooms? Also, once it stops blooming, is it something that can be maintained until next summer?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/22/2013 - 11:13

Impatiens should grow year-round indoors, though they may stop blooming in November when the light declines. Grow indoors in bright light using rich, well drained soil that is kept moist but not soggy. One reader suggests: Instead of soil, use a mixture of fir bark and peat moss for indoor success. Pinch the tips of the stems back about 3 to 4 inches to keep the plants from getting leggy.

 <span>Roxanne Curtis</span> Fri, 07/19/2013 - 16:56
I have an impatient that I bought in a hanging container, it was growing great,watered regularly d now it looks like frost has hit it. what you I do to bring it back
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/22/2013 - 11:03

 Wilting can be a result of heat stress. They may perk up when the nights cool down. Otherwise, it's simply too hot for impatiens. Try to find a shady place.

 <span>Dick Ernst</span> Thu, 07/18/2013 - 15:56
My potted impatiens had been blooming beautifully from early June to mid July, then stopped -- nary a flower showing on both plants. However, the leaves are lush green and devoid of critters that I can see. The only change has been a 90-degree heat wave lasting about 8 days, but the plants are in partial shade. Do they stop flowering after mid July?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 07/19/2013 - 10:36

If your impatiens are healthy and not experiencing downy mildrew, then it may be the very hot days and nights. When the nighttime temperatures do not dip into the 60's, impatiens often go dormant. After the heat, the flowers should revive. Impatiens should last until frost though they will die off in the summer if the heat does not subside; usually, this is in places like Florida but we've had some serious heat waves across the country recently.

 <span>Kkkkatie</span> Tue, 07/09/2013 - 19:50
My Impatiens, which are planted outdoors in containers, have leaves turning yellow, with decreased blooming. 2 are in shade. I can find no evidence of infestation. What could be causing this??
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 07/10/2013 - 11:55
Unfortunately, this year, many impatiens across the country had a disease. Yellow leaves usually means verticillium wilt. Make sure you don't take cuttings from a diseased plant. You could share a sample with your local cooperative extension to confirm diagnosis.
<span>Clara Posin</span> Sun, 07/07/2013 - 11:17
I first saw signs of severe "drooping" followed by rotting within 10 days of transplanting which kept ocurring throughout the yard so about 1 month after transplanting, I applied Miracle Grow's "Quick Start" to all plants (attached pictures) Could this have caused them later on to burn? drop off all their leaves? 4. I replaced some of the dead plants sporadically. At this point, there are a few healthy flowers; it is very hard for me to determine if there are any plants left from the original 50 flats. Would it be a good idea that after taking your recommendations (please keep in mind that it can only be applied now to the surface), I still replant all the dead areas? or is it too late in the season and I should just forget the garden this year? 5. There was a new person helping my gardener plant the 50 flats of 4" impatiens. One month later, when he was helping again to replace the dead plants, I noticed that he was tearing off the roots from the bottom of the plant before putting them in the soil. I inmediately told him not to do that, just to loosen the roots. Could this have caused some or all of the problems? 6 As far as the watering, I followed the same watering schedule as all previous years: once/day for about 10 minutes (normal weather in Southern California for this time of year is between 72-85 degrees) I have checked for signs of bug infestation (put slug/snail pellets) and I cannot see anything that would have caused such extensive damage. btw, ALL different areas of the yard did poorly
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 07/08/2013 - 11:22
You may have Impatiens Downey Mildew (IDM), a disease that is spreading across the country. Many greenhouses have cut back on selling impatiens for this reason and gardeners are buying other shade-loving annuals instead. New Guinea impatiens and the SunPatiens series are not susceptible to the disease. Check with your local garden center or Cooperative Extension office if they have any information for your region.