How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Impatiens Walleriana

Brightly-flowered Impatiens walleriana is perfect in shaded beds or as a partial-light ground cover. We've got the top growing tips, and Kevin Espiritu will show you how to grow these busy lizzies.

An overhead and close-up shot of a composition of impatiens walleriana

Contents

A favorite flower for many households, Impatiens walleriana is wildly popular in the UK and US. As a ground cover, it creates a stunning, flower-dappled display. It also makes an excellent houseplant, growing easily if you give it the right conditions.

Impatiens has many crazy names like busy lizzie or sultana. It’s even sometimes called the “patience plant”, although in an ironic way – more on that later! It’s so popular that growers have cultivated several shades of flowers to choose from. Pink, red, white, orange, lilac, or bi-colored blooms appear to much delight.

Native to East Africa, impatiens isn’t very demanding. It’ll thrive with the right care and light conditions. Often, it does particularly well in shaded or partly-shaded locations.

We’ve gathered together everything you’ll need to know to grow this phenomenal plant. With a little patience, you’ll have impatiens galore!

Plant Overview

An overhead shot of several growing flowers and leaves of a ground cover, showcasing its flower's various colors in a well lit area
Plant Type Flowering annual or perennial
Family Balsaminaceae
Genus Impatiens
Species Impatiens walleriana
Native Area Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Exposure Partial to full shade
Height 6-24”
Watering Requirements Regular
Pests & Diseases Aphids, whiteflies, thrips, spider mites, cutworms, root knot nematodes, downy mildew, necrotic spot virus, root rot, alternaria leaf spot, botrytis stem rot, powdery mildew, and damping off
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Well-draining, rich loam
Hardiness Zone 10-11

What is Impatiens Walleriana?

In frost-free regions, busy Lizzie is an herbaceous perennial. Elsewhere, it’s considered a half-hardy annual. Its natural preference is a Mediterranean climate type. The plant is part of the Balsaminaceae, which is comprised of flowering plants of the Impatiens and Hydrocera species.

Native Area

A shot of a small field of ground cover flowers with colors ranging from white, bright and deep red-pink, along its lush green leaves in a well lit area
The ground cover is native to Africa.

The name “walleriana” was crafted to honor Horace Waller (1833-1896). A contemporary of Victorian explorer David Livingstone, Waller was a British missionary. He spent much time in Africa, and was known as an anti-slavery activist in that era.

It was introduced to the western world by Dr. John Kirk. Another contemporary of Livingstone, Kirk initially believed Impatiens walleriana to be indigenous to Zanzibar. It was later discovered throughout eastern Africa.

The term “impatiens” is a bit ironic and contrasts with its common name of “patience plant”. The scientific name of Impatiens species originates from the plant’s impatience to spread its seeds. The lightest touch will cause an impatiens seed pod to pop open and send its seeds flying everywhere! Needless to say, it’s quite good at self-sowing, even if it’s not very patient.

Characteristics

A close-up shot of the flowers and leaves of a ground cover plant, showcasing the flower's vibrant colors of bright pink and white along lush green leaves
The plants has vibrant, colorful flowers and lush green foliage.

Impatiens walleriana is a popular flowering plant prized for its vibrant, colorful blooms and lush foliage. The plant typically grows to about eight to twenty-four inches in height. It features glossy, ovate leaves that provide an attractive backdrop to its flowers, which come in various colors. It blooms prolifically from spring through fall, adding continuous color to borders, containers, and hanging baskets.

Sometimes referred to as shade impatiens, Impatiens walleriana is one of many flowering plants in its species. Some 500 species fall into the Balsaminaceae family, with this and New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) being some of the best known.

Other synonyms for this species include Impatiens giorgii, Impatiens holstii, Impatiens lujai, and Impatiens sultani. These are all scientific names that have fallen out of common classification use.

Planting

A close-up shot of vibrant pink flowers of a ground cover in a well lit area outdoors
Select a location with partial to full shade and loosen the soil before planting.

To plant Impatiens walleriana, begin by selecting a location with partial to full shade, as these plants prefer indirect sunlight. Prepare the soil by loosening it and mixing in compost or organic matter to improve drainage and nutrient content. Space the plants about eight to twelve inches apart to ensure proper airflow and prevent overcrowding.

Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball, place the plant in the hole, and backfill it with soil, gently firming it around the base. Water thoroughly after planting to help establish the roots. Mulching around the plants can help retain soil moisture and reduce weed growth.

How to Grow

Adaptable to many different regions, impatiens is a very easy plant to grow. Let’s go over the ideal conditions for this lovely bedding plant or ground cover!

Light

A shot of white flowers and lush green leaves of a ground cover in dappled sunlight outdoors
The plant thrives in partially shaded or fully shaded locations.

Shade impatiens has that name for a reason: it thrives in shady or partially-shady areas. Direct sunlight can sunburn your plants. Ideally, provide an area where it receives indirect but bright light for at least part of the day.

If planting beneath a shade tree, be aware that this plant may compete with your tree for nutrients. I recommend container growth underneath trees for that reason. A raised bed positioned just under the tree’s canopy can also work well.

Indoors, your impatiens will do well with the same bright, but indirect lighting. Window lighting is fine as long as it doesn’t get full sun conditions.

Water

An overhead shot of a black soaker hose on soil covered in mulch
The ground cover develops best in moist soil.

Watering needs for impatiens are something that take a little practice to master. They grow best in moist soil, but are susceptible to root rot. During hotter periods, they require more water. In cool conditions, they may need much less.

If grown as a ground cover, an inch of water per week should suffice. Check the soil moisture before watering. When it’s dry through the top inch, it’s time to water! If not, you can wait a bit longer. Using drip irrigation is a good choice to keep excess water off the leaves.

For indoor growers, avoid standing water in the tray under your pot. The extra moisture may cause rot conditions to form. Also, avoid watering heavily during the winter months when the plant is growing less.

People growing impatiens in a hanging basket should check their water consistently. Most hanging baskets dry out much more quickly than other planting conditions. That even, regular moisture is absolutely key for a healthy plant.

Soil

Fingers reach into the rich, dark soil, embracing the earth's texture. Ready to scoop, they anticipate the weight of life in their palms, nurturing growth with gentle care and purposeful intent.
Use a well-drained soil that is heavy in organic matter.

Well-drained soil that’s heavy in organic matter is best for busy lizzie. When planting directly in beds or as a ground cover, work at least two inches of compost into the top six inches of soil before planting. You can also work in a little balanced organic fertilizer at the same time if you’d like.

Kept as a houseplant, most well-draining potting soils will work. I still like to add a bit of compost to my mix!

A two-inch layer of mulch spread around your plants will help the soil retain moisture. You can opt for a wood chip or straw mulch, either will work just fine.

Temperature

A shot of bright pink flowers and its deep green leaves that is placed in a large pot in a well lit area outdoors
This ground cover prefers warmer climates.

Temperature-wise, this plant prefers warm climates. Zones 10-11 are ideal for perennial growth. As an annual, this can be planted out in spring after frost danger ends. It’ll happily grow throughout the year.

Frosts and freezes are a major risk to impatiens. The plant will rapidly die out in temperatures below freezing level. If you wish to overwinter your plants, move them indoors when the weather is above 40°F (4°C).

Fertilizer

A woman pours liquid fertilizer from a black bottle into a soft pink plastic watering can indoors.
Fertilizing will depend on where the ground cover is planted.

For best growth, indoor plants should receive regular fertilizing. A half-strength water-soluble fertilizer can be applied up to every two weeks.

Outdoor ground cover or bedding plants may need less fertilization. This is doubly true if they’re in rich soil to begin with. Spreading a balanced, granular organic fertilizer in the spring and summer is fine. You shouldn’t need to fertilize in fall or winter.

Try to avoid fertilizers that are higher in nitrogen than other components. Those will produce lots of light green foliage, but fewer flowers.

Propagation

A shot of a person's hand holding a stem cutting of a ground cover, in the process of propagating in small nursery pots in an area indoors.
Propagation is commonly done by seeds or cuttings.

Impatiens are most commonly propagated through seed or cuttings. Viable seed comes from specific cultivars, but hybrids may not produce viable seed. Those should have cuttings taken of them. To plant impatiens seeds, do so about three months before your last frost date.

For cuttings, select three to four-inch healthy stem tips and place them in an inch or two of water. Remove all but the leaves at the tip. Rinse the base and replace the water with fresh water daily. When the roots reach about a half inch in length, you can transfer them to moist potting soil.

Common Problems

While it’s not completely problem-free, your Impatiens walleriana is pretty hardy. It’ll withstand many different issues. But a few problems might appear, so let’s discuss those.

Growing Problems

A focused shot of a pink flower and its green leaves, alongside an flower bud all situated in a well lit area outdoors
Growth issues are usually caused by moisture stress, nutrition imbalances or heat stress.

Moisture stress is a very real thing. The soil needs to be consistently moist or damp, but not soggy or dry. This stress can cause wilting, leaf drop, and flower drop. The best remedy is to make sure you water when the soil is dry in the first inch.

If your plant isn’t flowering, chances are it didn’t get enough phosphorous fertilization. Adding a phosphorous-rich fertilizer during the blooming season can fix that problem. For outdoor plants, use a slow-release granular balanced fertilizer. This should provide enough food for your plant to thrive.

Wilting may also be a sign of heat stress, as can sunburned leaves. If your plant’s receiving too much sun, you’re likely to see this problem. Make sure it’s in partial to total shade, receiving mostly bright indirect lighting.

Pests

Close up of a colony of white flies feasting on leaves.
There are a number of insect pests that harm the plant, it can be treated with neem oil.

Sucking insects are the bane of your plants! Aphids, whiteflies, and thrips are all prone to moving in for the attack. Spider mites and cutworms also like to attack impatiens, as do root knot nematodes.

Thankfully, many of these pests can be prevented with two things. A strong stream of water from a hose will knock many of these off the plant. Neem oil can handle most of them, and adding beneficial nematodes to your soil will handle the rest.

Diseases

A close-up of crown rot on plant roots, showing fungal infection with discolored, decaying tissues.
There are a few bacterial and fungal diseases that affect the plant is can be tough to beat.

Only a few diseases trouble Impatiens walleriana, but they can be tough to beat.

By far, the worst is impatiens downy mildew. While it’s related to normal downy mildew, this downy mildew strain only strikes Impatiens walleriana. It creates white, spore-covered undersides of leaves, and plant growth may be stunted. The leaves will eventually yellow and fall from the plant.

You may be able to treat this downy mildew with some fungicides, or by trimming off damaged leaves. Impatiens downy mildew can live in the soil for quite some time. If you’ve had problems with downy mildew in the past, you may want to opt for a mildew-resistant cultivar.

Another disease that strikes only impatiens is the impatiens necrotic spot virus. This viral disease causes severe stunting, ring spots on the leaves, and kills growing tip foliage. With this virus, there is no cure. You will need to remove and destroy the plant.

Other diseases which may appear include alternaria leaf spot, botrytis stem rot, powdery mildew, and damping off. We’ve covered all these at length in the past, so feel free to click through and read more about them!

One last issue is fungal-based rots. Both fusarium fungi and pythium fungi can cause fungal rots that damage your plants. To prevent these, don’t overwater.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to plant impatiens in a hanging basket in my balcony?

If your balcony has bright, indirect lighting, sure! Make sure to keep the soil moist, as many hanging baskets dry out more quickly than planters do.

When do impatiens bloom and what color will I achieve?

Impatiens bloom from early summer (May or June) to October and maybe even later in warm climates. You’ll have different colors of flowers depending on the variety you choose. They can be red, lilac, pink, orange, violet, or multicolored.

Do impatiens come back every year?

In and near USDA zones 10 and 11, they are perennial. This goes for New Guinea impatiens as well.

How do you keep impatiens blooming?

Proper care and regular fertilizer will help your impatiens keep blooming throughout the growing season.

Why are impatiens called Touch Me Nots?

This colloquialism refers to the exploding tendency of the ripe seed pods when touched.

How do you winterize impatiens?

To overwinter them, simply move them indoors when temperatures dip below 40°F (4°C). This also applies to New Guinea impatiens!

Do impatiens need to be deadheaded?

It’s not necessary to deadhead impatiens. They’ll bloom profusely whether you do or not.

Should you water impatiens every day?

You only need to water daily if your impatiens if it’s above 80°F (27°C) for an extended period of time.

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