James Burghardt
Family
Balsaminaceae
Botanical Name
IMPATIENS walleriana 'Super Elfin Pastel Mix'( SUPER ELFIN SERIES)
Plant Common Name
Busy Lizzy, Dwarf Impatiens, Impatiens
General Description
Lots of extra large flowers dance across the compact plants in Super Elfin Pastel Mix.' These fine dwarf impatiens were introduced by Ball Horticultural Company. They have neat, mounded habits, are early blooming, well-branched and produce lots of large, colorful flowers effortlessly all season long. The flowers come in shades of rose, pink, pale pink and white.
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.
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.
