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Impatiens: How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Impatiens Flowers | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Impatiens

White and orange impatiens

Photo Credit
Angela Altomare
Botanical Name
Impatiens
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
10
11
Special Features
Attracts Birds
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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Impatiens

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Impatiens is a beautiful annual that makes an excellent houseplant or summer bedding and container plant. Here’s how to grow impatiens in your garden!

Impatiens is also known as “Busy Lizzie,” and its name is a Latin word that describes the way its seeds shoot out of its pods when ripe (the slightest touch can make a ripe impatiens seed pod burst open and scatter its seeds). Generally, impatiens like shade and moisture.

Planting
  • Plant impatiens transplants after the last spring frost. See your local frost dates.
  • Impatiens prefer humus-rich, moist, and well-drained soil. Make sure the plants have some shelter from the wind.
  • The closer impatiens plants are, the taller they will grow, so space accordingly (impatiens plants can grown anywhere between 6 and 30 inches tall). For flower beds, plant 8 to 12 inches apart so the plants will stay low to the ground.
  • You can mix in compost or a slow-release fertilizer before transplanting to help the plants.
  • If you have impatiens plants in containers, like window boxes, use a sterile or soil-less growing mixture to ensure better drainage for the plants.
  • Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.
Growing
  • The most important thing to remember about impatiens plants is to water them regularly. Keep them moist, but not too wet. If the plants dry out, they will lose their leaves. If you over-water the plants, this could encourage fungal diseases.
  • Remember container plants will need more water.
Recommended Varieties
  • Tom Thumb Series (Impatiens balsamina), which is a dwarf variety with large, double, brightly colored flowers.
  • Super Elfin Series (Impatiens walleriana), which is a spreading plant with a wide variety of pastel colors.
  • Swirl Series (Impatiens walleriana), which have pretty pink and orange flowers whose petals are outlined in red.
Pests/Diseases
Flowers
Annuals

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Comments

Violet linehan (not verified)

10 months ago

I have a double impatient plant , is it an inside or outside plant? How do I look after it as I’m new to growing flowers.

Hi Violet, Thanks for your question. Your double impatiens can be either a house plant or grown outdoors. They are best known as garden bed plants that provide a pop of color throughout the growing season, but are also well suited for containers and hanging baskets. Since impatiens are a tropical plant, they are very sensitive to cold and should not be put outdoors or planted until there is no threat of frost.

Impatiens need rich, moist, and well-drained soil and do best in partial shade. They need regular water, so keep them moist, but not too wet. Impatiens grown in containers or hanging baskets will need more water. 

Jim (not verified)

1 year 1 month ago

I live I Hawaii my impatient plant is about four years old and it tend to droop I water it but that only helps a little do impatients get all and die after a period of time

Aloha, Jim,

You’ve done well to keep an impatiens plant for several years; they are generally grown as annuals but of course you have ideal conditions. Watering impatiens anywhere—too much or too little—can be tricky. Your plants might be getting too much water; that could cause them to be saturated and droop. If they are drooping in the midday, when the temp is the warmest in hot sun, they may be drooping in response but might perk up later in the day if you leave them alone. Then again it might be time to start or purchase some new ones. We hope this helps! 

Adrianne (not verified)

1 year 7 months ago

I see HUGE mounds of impatiens all over. They seem pretty tall and densely packed. How do you plant to get those huge mounds? Do you have to have a large tall pile of dirt to achieve that? Just planting them ground level doesn't have the same effect. Thanks much