Impatiens walleriana

Common Names

Busy Lizzie, Impatiens, Balsam, Sultana, Patience Plant, Touch-Me-Not

Summary

Busy Lizzie is a tender herbaceous perennial native to eastern Africa, commonly grown as an annual bedding plant, it grows about 15–60 cm tall with glossy medium-green, broad lanceolate leaves and soft, semi-succulent stems, and is exceptionally floriferous, producing masses of showy flowers in a wide range of colors from white to pink, red, orange, and purple, especially in shade to partial shade, it prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil and thrives in partial to full shade, grown as an annual in temperate regions, with longevity into a second year in warmer areas, spacing is 8–12 inches, soil should be kept consistently moist, with regular monthly fertilization, propagation is by seed or softwood cuttings, and pruning by pinching tips encourages branching, uses include beds, borders, containers, hanging baskets, and ground cover, common pests include aphids and spider mites, and downy mildew is a recurring disease risk, sanitation and selecting mildew-resistant cultivars help manage disease

Lifecycle

Perennial, Annual

Height

6-24 inches

Spread

8-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 10-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained loam rich in organic matter

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, moisture-retentive soil (moist, not soggy).

Soil pH

6.0-6.5 (slightly acidic)

Bloom Color

Pink, White, Red, Orange, Purple, Violet, Lavender, Yellow, Salmon, Rose, Lilac, Bi-colored

Bloom Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

Foliage Color

Green foliage, varying from light to dark green, sometimes with a bronze-red cast; leaves glossy, medium-green.

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Growth Rate

Fast growth

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and butterflies