Annuals Dictionary: Impatiens
Balsam family
Balsaminaceae
Im-pay’shens. Nearly 500 species of tender, succulent plants, widely distributed in Asia, tropical Africa, and North America.
Description
Simple leaves, alternate, opposite, or whorled. Flowers irregular, spurred, solitary or clustered in leaf axils.
How to Grow
Start I. Balsamina and I. Wallerana from seeds sown indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost at 70-75°F (21-24°C). Do not cover seeds with soil; they need light to sprout. Stretch clear plastic over the seed flat. Transplant seedlings to the garden or to containers 2 weeks after danger of frost is past. Both also propagated by cuttings. ‘New Guinea’ can only be started from cuttings or nursery-grown seedlings. All 3 species prefer warm weather.
Impatiens Balsamina
Garden Balsam ; Lady’s Slipper . 24-30 in. (60-75 cm) tall, stiff, and erect. Flowers 1-2 in. (2.5-5.0 cm) wide, some very double or “camellia-flowered,” in salmon-pink, old rose, scarlet, yellow, purple, or white. Subtropical India and China. Does well in sunny or lightly shaded gardens. Tender annual.
Impatiens ‘New Guinea’
Very showy, 1-2 ft. (30-60 cm) high. Leaves variegated. Flowers extra-large, red to pinkish purple, 2-2 in. (5-6 cm) wide. New Guinea. Some varieties require full sun. Tender annual.
Impatiens Wallerana
Busy Lizzy ; Patient Lucy ; Patience Plant ; Sultana . Brittle, 1-2 ft. (30-60 cm) high. Flowers solitary or 2-3 on a short, slender stalk, 1-2 in. (2.5-5.0 cm) wide. Bright scarlet in original form, but hybrids are red, pink, orange, salmon, purple, white, or variegated. Tanzania to Mozambique. Where summers are hot, this species needs light to moderate shade. Good houseplant. Tender perennial grown as a tender annual.