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Gerald L. Klingaman
Balsaminaceae
Impatiens walleriana
Busy Lizzy, Impatiens
Good old busy lizzy is a shade-loving bedding plant that everyone knows and loves. 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 flowers have spurs in the back that hold nectar. Cultivars may have single or double flowers that come in a wide array of colors, including bicolored selections. Height is also cultivar dependent. The blooms 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.
12 - 1
10 - 15
A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Tender Perennial
Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
8"-24" / 20.3cm - 61.0cm
10"-24" / 25.4cm - 61.0cm
Indeterminate
Eastern Africa
Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Very Fast
Cushion/Mound-forming
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Showy
White, Red, Purple, Pink, Magenta, Rose, Salmon, Coral, Peach, Burgundy
Bicolor
Green
Green, Burgundy
No
Single, Double
Yes
Medium
Glossy
Semi-Evergreen
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
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