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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>Donna Reiling</span> Tue, 07/02/2013 - 08:45
I planted Orange New Guinea Impatients in April here in Texas and they were about 14" tall and doing great! One morning I came out and half the plant was lying flat on the soil -limp as it could be - dead - not to be revived. I was so upset! I dug around to see if I could find snails and I found this huge black/grey caterpillar with small yellow spots along his lower body. He was about the size of my little finger. He was wrapped around the stem of the impatient just under the soil. What is this bug Please?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 07/05/2013 - 15:51
We believe that you had a type of hawk moth caterpillar on your impatiens. The best thing you can do is to check frequently and destroy them when you find them.
<span>Emilyschmimilie</span> Wed, 06/12/2013 - 11:00
I recently planted impatiens in my front yard, approximately 1.5 weeks ago. They are in a flower bed on the north side of the house 6-8' from the house itself. The lady at the nursery said they should have enough shade since they are on the north side. We also have a medium sized maple tree in the front yard. I have been monitoring the flowers closely and the blooms look sad and droopy. They are getting full sun exposure from around 10am - 6pm. I'm debating if they are still trying to take root or if they are simply overheating in the sun - or could it be a lack of water. I've been watering every-other day in the evenings. Do I need to pull up these flower and put them in a pot on the front porch or should I wait it out a while longer? I should note that I also have merigolds in the same flower bed and they seem to be doing fine - they were planted at the same time as the impatiens. Thanks!
<span>Laura J</span> Mon, 06/17/2013 - 13:05
They are getting way too much sun and won't last. I plant impatiens every year and they like a "little" bit of sun (2-3 hours)over full shade, but they cannot handle full sun. They are shade plants. You should replant.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 06/14/2013 - 10:16
The impatiens should be OK on the north side of your house. Wait before transplanting. Water only when needed. Check the soil, if it is moist don't water.
<span>Ginny Kauffman</span> Mon, 06/03/2013 - 21:20
I have impatiens on my front porch in a pot. They don't grow nice & look very scraggly. There are always spider webs on them. Could the spiders be killing them? I have found small tan spiders on them. I just don't know what to do for them anymore!! Help!!!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 06/04/2013 - 06:28
You have spider mites on your impatiens plants. According to your cooperative extension, "This often happens when the plants are given a protection free of the rains that tend to wash the mites away. The pests are pencil-point size, piercing, sucking arachnids that cause the bleak look as they suck the juices from leaves and stems. Start control by using a strong stream of water to wash the mites away. Then apply an insecticidal soap spray. Follow the label instructions, and repeat applications every 5 to 7 days for a few weeks to prevent reinfestation. If the plants have been severely infected they may not recover."
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 04/25/2013 - 16:01
I saw today (25th April 2013) Impatiens Plants in Tesco, looking very healthy and at a reasonable price! However, in my experience we are wasting our time here in Tayside in the East of Scotland any time before 1st June at the VERY earliest as we can get late frosts hre, right in the heart of Raspberry growing country, even into early June. Have Tesco no idea when to market plants in each part of the country? It seems to me that they market their plants in accordance with conditions in Kent or some such mild and warm place down in the South of England. Who is the fool? It's not me 'cos I certainly won't buy them at this stage of the Season and it is certainly not them either as there are more fools out there who will buy them and thus make more profits for Tesco at their own personal cost. A totally disgusted Gardener in the Heartland of Scotland!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 04/08/2013 - 11:47
Are you having trouble finding impatiens in garden centers this spring (2013)? Did the ones you planted last year struggle to grow or develop mildew? Read why here: http://www.almanac.com/blog/annuals/impatient-impatiens
<span>Anonymous</span> Mon, 02/18/2013 - 19:40
Last spring, I was given a small plant-gift in a plain dark plastic pot -about 4 inches square. I kept it on a filing tray at my desk at work and kept it watered. It bloomed more than 5 pretty blossoms, then just seemed to give up. Over the months, each green leaf fell, until I ended up with a "Charlie Brown" impatiens. I had about 4 stems with 2 to 3 leaves each - right at the tip. A co-worker gave me a slightly bigger pot, and some soil with Miracle Gro in it. I waited over a month, then one day decided to replant using the extra soil. I didn't remove the soil around the roots, but simply added the new to the bottom and around the edges, then some extra on top. That was just before Thanksgiving! I no longer have an impatiens plant - I have an im"bush"iens. And we're just past Valentine's Day! It just dropped 3 more blossoms, and there's another bud growing. I'm not a Master Gardener, and can't even claim to be a regular gardener, but this impatiens is the best plant ever! I intend to keep it going, too!