Colorful impatiens!
Planting, Growing, and Caring for Impatiens
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Impatiens are one of the rare annual plants that will provide colorful blooms in shady gardens—so they’re also perfect for hanging baskets or containers on porches. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for impatiens.
About Impatiens
Impatiens are very popular as both a bedding and hanging plant. Also called “Busy Lizzies,” these beauties are low-maintenance and don’t even need pinching! 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).
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.
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.
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 two weeks when watering.
- Deadheading, while not strictly necessary, will improve their appearance and encourage more blooms.
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.
Andy Wilcox
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nice flower
I bring my impatiens in the house in the fall.This year they are dropping a lot of leaves.What could the reason be for this?
Can I save the seed pods while they are still "unripe" to scatter the seed a little later? My seed pods are prolific and elongated (that's the extent of my botanical knowledge.) I live in western NC and have a thriving impatiens garden. Every year they reseed themselves and come back in the spring. However, I would like to plant our pansies in Sept so they have a chance to "take" before the cold sets in, and usually the impatiens (in the same bed) are not quite to seed until October...or later. How can I harvest the seed pods and wait for them to seed?
It is best to let the seeds ripen before harvesting them by waiting until the pods turn from bright green to a tannish color. You can try harvesting the immature pods and letting them dry for a week or two before popping them open. Only the brown seeds will grow so toss out the white ones. Good luck!
Hi, I planted my Impatiens in a flower box located under a big fruitless mulberry and they did very well until something started eating them. I looked out to see raccoons in my yard, but I am not sure they are the culprits. Do raccoons eat these plants?
I’ve grown some New Guinea impatiens from seeds, which are planted outside in south-facing troughs. The plants looked really healthy and are much larger than I expected – 18 inches to 2 feet in height. However, none of the buds have grown out from to the main stem, so each plant has a column of flowers that you can’t really see because they are covered by leaves. The blooms are also quite poor quality and either look mouldy, moth-eaten or just shrivelled up. There are in the sheltered spot that gets sunshine for part of the day and I have watered them regularly, but not over watered them, as recommended. I don’t understand why they haven’t flowered as normal, and the only thing I can think of is we’ve had a particularly cold summer this year with temperatures rarely exceeding 20C. Any advice would be greatly appreciated? – thanking you in advance! Matt
Eastern exposure with morning sun is recommended for New Guineas. If the plants get too much sun the flowers will be smaller and fewer in number. Fertilize approximately every 2 weeks with a water soluble fertilizer.
i'm new to gardening and im trying new things when it comes to care and propagation, but if an impatien was to be used souly as a houseplant, could the seeds be sown at any time of year? except the winter months of course
Hi Jack,
Impatiens can be grown as huseplants and the seeds can be started any time. They can be grown successfully in normal room temperatures with a humidity of at least 50%. Mist the plants with water daily.
