James H. Schutte
Family
Balsaminaceae
Botanical Name
IMPATIENS walleriana 'Balolespri'( FIESTA OLE™ PURPLE STRIPE, FIESTA OLE™ SERIES) PPAF
Plant Common Name
Busy Lizzy, Fiesta Ole™ Purple Stripe Impatiens, Impatiens
General Description
The vibrant Fiesta Ole™ Purple is very compact and offers beautifully doubled flowers all season long. The flowers are white with bright violet-purple stripes. This Ball Horticultural Company introductions is noted for its uniform mounded habit and vivid flowers that do not fade.
Almost every gardener has grown Impatiens walleriana. Surprisingly, this common “annual” is actually a bushy tender perennial in its native East Africa and will survive winters in tropical and sub-tropical zones. It blooms continuously if conditions are favorable and has fleshy, tender stems and leaves that quickly wilt when water is lacking and perk up just as fast when it’s available.
Busy lizzy is bushy and upright with lance-shaped to elliptical leaves that come in various shades of green, sometimes with reddish or purplish tints. It produces many broad, flattened, five-petaled flowers all season. The butterfly-pollinated blooms have spurs in the back that hold nectar. They need not be deadheaded and are followed by bulbous, green, striated seed capsules that explode to spread their seeds when mature.
Full to partial shade is ideal for Impatiens, though they can withstand more sun where summers are cool. They grow and bloom to their fullest if grown in moist, humus-rich soil with good drainage and given a slow release fertilizer formulated for garden flowers. When weather conditions are dry, they need supplemental water. If given the right care, they are very easy to grow. Disease problems includes botrytis blight, which is a fuzzy grayish brown mold that attacks plants when conditions are too humid, and Impatiens necrotic spot virus, which causes black ring spots on the leaves. Overwatering can cause stem and root rot.
Impatiens can be planted in any shaded spot where color is needed. They are also excellent for containers and hanging baskets. In the north they are grown as summer bedding annuals, and in southern and western locations they are commonly planted for winter color.
Characteristics
-
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 15
-
Sunset Zone
A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Plant Type
Tender Perennial
-
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
-
Height
6"-10" / 15.2cm - 25.4cm
-
Width
10"-12" / 25.4cm - 30.5cm (12)
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Native To
Eastern Africa
Ornamental Features
-
Flower Interest
Showy
-
Flower Color
White, Purple, Violet
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green
-
Foliage Color (Spring)
Light Green
-
Foliage Color (Summer)
Light Green
-
Foliage Color (Fall)
Light Green
-
Foliage Color (Winter)
Light Green
-
Fragrant Flowers
No
-
Fragrant Fruit
No
-
Fragrant Foliage
No
-
Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
-
Flower Petal Number
Double
-
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
-
Showy Fruit
No
-
Edible Fruit
No
-
Showy Foliage
No
-
Foliage Texture
Medium
-
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
-
Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
-
Usage
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
-
Sharp or Has Thorns
No
-
Invasive
No
-
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Self-Sowing
No
