How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Impatiens Flowers

Impatiens are famous for their ability to liven up a shady corner of the yard.

Even deep shade doesn’t phase them much. And we aren’t talking about adding just a bit of greenery to a shady spot. Oh no, we’re talking vibrant mounds of pink, white, and purple.

Apparently, there are a lot of people who are looking to add easygoing color to their shady spots, because impatiens used to be the most popular bedding plant in the US.

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But during the early 2010s, impatiens started to fall out of favor because they were hit so hard by downy mildew.

Instead of being the old shade-brightening reliable we know and love, the bedding plants that were a standby in nurseries started to become a liability throughout the majority of North America.

Now, pretty impatiens are ready for their comeback thanks to new cultivars and preventative techniques that growers are implementing.

Ready to find out how you can bring impatiens to your space? Let’s dig in!

The ornamental impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) that we know and love are originally from eastern Africa, though other species in the genus are native to Asia or North America.

When the seeds are ready, they explode in a firecracker-like burst at the slightest touch.

There are many plants in the genus, including:

• Kashmir balsam (I. balfourii)
• Garden balsam (I. balsamina)
• Spotted jewelweed (I. capensis)
• New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri)
• Poor man’s rhododendron (I. sodenii)
• Touch-me-not (I. pallida).

Flowers can be orange, pink, purple, red, violet, yellow, and white, and many shades in between.

Impatiens can grow anywhere from 10 inches to three feet tall, depending on the cultivar.

How to Grow

And they can also be grown as a houseplant for year-round color.

Let’s dig into what they need to really thrive:

Light

Ideally, you should situate your plants somewhere that they’ll receive a few hours of sunlight first thing in the morning.

Afternoon sun is too harsh, though dappled sunlight is fine. If you plant them in full, deep shade, they’ll survive, but the blossoms will be reduced in size and number.

If you’re growing in a sunnier location, consider using New Guinea impatiens instead, as they tolerate more sun. Indoors, a spot near a bright window without direct rays is ideal.

Soil

These plants crave well-draining, organically rich soil with a slightly acidic pH, ideally around 5.5 to 6.5.

Most of us don’t have that kind of soil naturally, so the best way to create it is to add lots of well-rotted compost to the soil. Compost helps to improve both sandy and heavy clay earth.

Temperature and Humidity

Water

Impatiens need a lot of water. The soil shouldn’t dry out too much, and that’s part of the reason why they don’t do well in full sun – they tend to dry out too quickly.

When the surface of the soil begins to dry, add more water. If the plants start to droop, you’ve waited too long.

Fertilizer

Feed the plants with a flower-specific fertilizer once a month, after the flower buds have formed.

Down to Earth Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa Meal from Down to Earth is an excellent option. Arbico Organics carries half- and five-pound boxes.

In containers, a slow-release fertilizer at planting time can also help maintain steady nutrients.

Container Growing

Impatiens do exceptionally well in pots and hanging baskets. Use a lightweight, water-retentive potting mix, and ensure the container has adequate drainage.

Because container soil dries out faster, be prepared to water more frequently.

Keep an eye on container-bound plants for signs of root crowding—if they seem to dry out too quickly or stop blooming, it might be time to repot.

Cultivars to Select

Impatiens are usually grouped according to series, which is a marketing term used to group collections of plants with similar characteristics.

These will usually share the same growth habit and cultural requirements while being different from one cultivar to the next in terms of color, or patterns seen on the flowers.

Accent

The name is on the nose with this series from Syngenta. These dwarf plants produce relatively massive flowers in comparison to other varieties, which makes them the perfect garden accent.

These reach a height of 10 to 12 inches and spread 10 inches. The large flowers are up to two inches across, and seeds mature in 70 to 77 days.

You’ll find Accent series cultivars in red, pink, orange, salmon, lilac, violet, and white, as well as ‘Peppermint Mix’ (a combo of pinkish-red and white flowers) and other seed mixes, plus unique ‘Star’ cultivars with red, orange, violet, or salmon-colored blossoms that have white star-shaped centers.

Accent ‘Red Star’

Accent ‘Red Star’ seeds and a variety of other color options are available in packages of 500 from True Leaf Market.

Beacon

The Beacon series comes to us from PanAmerican Seed Company, and this flower was bred to be resistant to downy mildew.

It was first introduced in 2020 and can now be found across the country thanks to its ability to withstand this widespread disease.

The seedlings tend to cost more than other cultivars, but the price will be well worth it when your touch-me-nots make it through the season unscathed.

Beacon ‘Paradise’ Mix

These hardy flowers are available in red, violet, salmon, coral, orange, rose, and white. The plants grow 14 to 18 inches in height and spread 12 to 14 inches.

Beacon ‘Paradise’ Mix is available from Burpee in packets of 25 seeds or bundles of 24 live plants in a mix of colors including white, red, coral, and violet.

Imara XDR

Imara is a name that symbolizes strength, but what’s with the “XDR”?

It stands for extra disease resistance, with thrilling flowers to boot! This series, which was introduced in 2019 by Syngenta Flowers, is highly resistant to downy mildew.

With cultivars in red, orange, pink, purple, salmon, rose, and white, as well as mixes and colorful options with white stars at their centers, the plants have a height and spread of 10 to 12 inches.

Imara XDR

Seeds are available from the Park Seeds Store in packs of 30 via Amazon. This mix includes a variety of solid-color cultivars.

Maintenance

No doubt part of the reason impatiens are so popular is because they need hardly any maintenance to look fabulous. They are self-cleaning, which means you don’t need to remove the spent flowers to see new blossoms.

You don’t need to pinch them back, either. They have a naturally bushy, compact shape without any effort on your part. However, feel free to pinch away if you want – it won’t hurt anything.

Propagation

From Seed

Seeds should be started indoors 12 weeks before the last projected frost date.

Here’s how:

1. Prepare a seed tray by filling it with a seed-starting medium.
2. Gently sprinkle the seeds over the medium. Don’t bury them, because they need light to germinate.
3. Spray the medium using a water bottle and cover with a piece of glass or clear plastic. Keep the soil moist as the seeds germinate. That means opening the cover and spraying before the soil begins to dry out.
4. Keep the tray in bright, indirect sunlight. The seeds should sprout in two to three weeks. Once they’ve emerged, you can remove the cover. Thin the seedlings so they’re no closer than two inches apart in any direction.
5. Once two true leaves have formed, you can move the tray outside to harden the seedlings off. Keep the tray in a protected spot without direct sunlight for an hour.
6. On the following day, add an hour before bringing them back inside. Each day, add another hour until they can stay outside all day.

Here’s a quick tip for the lazy gardener: If you live somewhere that doesn’t experience freezing temperatures below 32°F, you can allow plants that are growing in your garden to go to seed at the end of the season.

Gently touch the seedpods when they’re mature. They will explode everywhere, sending seeds out into your garden bed. Next year, as long as conditions are favorable, you’ll likely have new seedlings that pop up on their own.

From Cuttings

You can easily propagate impatiens by rooting cuttings as well.

Here’s how:

1. Cut a stem that is about three inches long and remove all but two leaves.
2. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder or gel and insert the cutting into a pot filled with seed-starting mix.
3. Water the medium so that it is moist but not soggy.
4. Tent a clear plastic bag over the cutting and place it in a spot with bright, indirect light. Check once a day to ensure that the soil is still moist. Add water if necessary.

From Seedlings/Transplanting

Impatiens are one of the cheapest annuals available at the store. You can usually buy a six-pack of them for a few bucks, and you can often find them even cheaper towards the end of spring.

Once you bring them home, prepare the garden for planting. You can plant as soon as the last projected frost date for your area has passed in the spring.

Get more details on impatiens flower propagation.

Pests and Disease

Impatiens are mostly at risk of damage or illness caused by herbivores and downy mildew, but there are a few other things you should keep an eye out for as well:

Pests

• Aphids
  These tiny, sap-sucking insects gather on stems and undersides of leaves, causing distortion and yellowing.
  Control: Blast with water or apply insecticidal soap or neem oil to affected areas.
• Spider Mites
  Often a problem in hot, dry weather, these pests cause stippled, yellow leaves and fine webbing.
  Control: Increase humidity, spray with water regularly, or apply miticides or insecticidal soap.
• Thrips
  Slender insects that feed on flower buds and petals, leading to deformed blooms and discolored foliage.
  Control: Use sticky traps to monitor, and treat with neem oil or spinosad-based products.

Disease

• Downy Mildew (Plasmopara obducens)
  A serious disease that causes yellowing, wilting, and white fuzz on the undersides of leaves. Plants may collapse quickly.
  Control: Remove and destroy infected plants immediately, avoid overhead watering, and rotate plantings.
• Botrytis Blight (Gray Mold)
  This fungal issue appears as fuzzy gray mold on flowers and foliage, especially in cool, damp conditions.
  Control: Improve air circulation, remove affected plant parts, and apply a fungicide if necessary.
• Root and Stem Rot
  Caused by soilborne fungi in overly wet conditions, leading to mushy stems and plant collapse.
  Control: Ensure proper drainage, avoid overwatering, and discard infected plants.

Regular inspection and good cultural practices go a long way in keeping your impatiens healthy and blooming.

Best Uses

Impatiens shine as a bedding plant, especially in big groups when planted en masse. They also work well as a border option or in containers like window boxes or hanging planters.

Impatiens Are Ready for Their Big Comeback

Impatiens once seemed unstoppable. But for most of the past decade, they have become less and less popular because of the awful downy mildew plague sweeping through nurseries and gardens in the UK and North America.

That’s a shame, because this is such a low-maintenance, impressive plant that can fill up shady containers, and those hard-to-fill spots under trees and on the north sides of buildings.

Fortunately, this beauty is ready to make its comeback. With smart growing techniques and resistant hybrids and cultivars, you can once again feel safe adding busy Lizzies to your garden.

Did you give up growing impatiens because of downy mildew? Which cultivars are you using in your garden this year? Let us know in the comments!

Ready to learn about some other shade options for your flower garden? You might find the following guides useful:

• How to Grow Astilbe Flowers: A Shade Gardener’s Best Friend
• How to Grow Lily of the Valley, a Fragrant Shade-Lover
• How to Grow and Care for Common Foxglove