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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>Shelley Moore</span> Wed, 07/22/2015 - 13:37
Do Impatiens need to have SOME sun in order to bloom? I bought a couple flats of Impatiens this year and planted a bunch of pots of them. The pots which get some sunlight throughout the day are huge and beautiful. The pots which do not get any sunlight are growing but are not blooming. I have another area where I planted some Impatiens in the ground. This area also doesn't get any sunlight and the Impatiens are not blooming there either. :(
<span>Cmbp</span> Sat, 07/18/2015 - 12:38
In May I bought 2 10" hanging pots with 3 New Guinea Impatiens in each. I live in Zone 5. I have kept them moist and water with a very diluted 20-6-22 fertilizer (1 tsp p/gallon H20)all the time. They droop even though not dried out and are hardly blooming. The blossoms die fast. I have pruned them to keep them contained. Now one of the plants of 3 in one pot has totally curled up. Not dried out just totally wilted. I know it will not come back. I believe they are in the right light conditions. What am I doing wrong?
<span>Pistil Pete</span> Thu, 09/10/2015 - 10:35
Your NPK ratio is way off!, less N and more P (phosphorous) will encourage prolific Blooms! Excess nitrogen forces the plant to grow more leafy vegetation to prevent Nitrogen toxicity. Are the leaves very dark green? This is a symptom of excess N, scorched leaf tips are N toxicity. Try Bat Guano as an organic soil amendment or top dress, alternatively change your mineral salt plant food for on that is for BLOOM , the NPK ratio should have more P than N. (potassium K is essential too but generally abundant in liquid plant foods and excess does not inhibit Blooms like Nitrogen does. I hope this was of some help! Slainte
<span>Cheriea</span> Sun, 06/14/2015 - 13:55
I'm a little confused. Impatients are annuals and I thought that annuals only lasted through one season. I was going to talk about the plant that I have because I thought it was special, but after reading through all the comments, I see that mine isn't special afterall. I plant impatients in my flower beds every spring. By fall they look like they've seen better days. Everything in my flower beds dies by late fall. 3 years ago I noticed that the trailing ivy like plant was still thriving so I decided to dig it up and repot it inside. It lasted for quite awhile then dried up. I cut it back and left it there throughout the winter. The next spring, it started to grow back, but I noticed that another plant started to grow as well. I was amazed and couldn't wait to see what it was. The thing was huge and eventually I saw little buds popping up which opened and that's when I knew that it was an impatient. But none of my plants outside ever got this big. I didn't dig up an impatient which is what surprised me, but because I knew it to be an annual, I was even more surprised that it came back. And it's been growing back every year since. So I guess I'm looking for a better understanding of what an annual really is. I know that perennials come back every year, but I've always thought that an annual is for one year only.
<span>B. Mourit</span> Thu, 06/25/2015 - 01:39
You likely had some seed in that soil from your impatien. These plants produce many seed pods.
<span>Dawnsearlylight</span> Sat, 06/20/2015 - 12:32
It is my understanding that an annual does only grow for one year. There are perennials that are treated like annuals because they can't survive the winters in some climates; these might be labelled annuals in your area.
<span>Sovannah</span> Fri, 04/24/2015 - 14:39
Hi, I have some concerns about my newly planted Impatiens flowers. I planned to keep it indoor, and I found out through this article that pests might occur. So is pests only occur if we planted Impatiens outdoor or is it something to worry about when planting it indoor?
<span>Sue Brighton</span> Sat, 01/17/2015 - 17:33
I have a New Guinea Impatiens and it has gone straggly and the leaves have started turning yellow and falling off. I have thought of cutting it back so that the nourishments goes back into the roots. It isn't flowering at the moment there is lots of new growth on the straggly bits so not sure what to do can someone please advise.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 01/21/2015 - 10:10

Hi Sue,

It is recommended to trim leggy plants to keep a bushy shape. When pruning, cut the stems back to a leaf node and give the plant water and fertilizer to promote new growth. This is also a good time to repot the plant in new fresh soil.

 <span>Stacee</span> Fri, 12/12/2014 - 14:51
I have 5 lovely potted new guinea impatients here in New Zealand, my 3 tangerine coloured ones are almost in full sun but are doing great, I have had my 2 purples ones for at least a month which recieve almost as much sun, but now the colour is stripping out of the blooms, they start purple when first blooming but then start going whitish on the petals, this is happening with both pots.. I thought too much sun but the tangerine ones dont do it and they get more sun. Any ideas? Thanks