What is Impatiens Arguta – Tips for Growing Upright Impatiens Plants When you hear someone mention Impatiens [1] , you probably imagine the old tradition of shade-loving bedding plants with short succulent stems, delicate flowers and seed pods that burst at the slightest touch. You can also imagine the intensely colorful foliage of the increasingly popular, sun-tolerant New Guinea impatiens [2] . Well, throw those pictures of common impatiens out the window, because the new, rare varieties of Impatiens arguta are like no impatiens you’ve ever seen before. Read on for more information about Impatiens arguta.
What is Impatiens arguta?
Impatiens arguta is a semi-shrubby, upright type of impatiens that grows 3-4 feet (91-122 cm) tall and wide. Upright impatiens is native to regions of the Himalayas and grows as a perennial in US hardiness zones [3] 7-11. In zones 9-11 it can grow as an evergreen and bloom year-round.
If temperatures are too low in these zones or there is an unseasonal frost, the plant may die back to the ground but then regrow from its thick tubers when the weather warms again. Elsewhere it can be grown as an annual where it can wander and climb in containers and baskets.
However, the real “wow factor” of Impatiens arguta is its lavender-blue funnel- or tube-shaped flowers. These flowers hang beneath the deep green, serrated foliage from tiny, delicate, inconspicuous stems. They have been described as graceful little swimming sea creatures that look as if they are gently floating on waves as the plant sways in the wind.
The flowers have also been described as orchid-like. Depending on the variety, the flowers have a yellow-orange throat with red-orange markings. The other end of the flower curls into a hook-shaped spur, which can also be colored yellow-red. These flowers bloom from spring until frost and even longer in frost-free areas.
Suggested varieties of Impatiens arguta include ‘Blue I’, ‘Blue Angel’ and ‘Blue Dreams’. There is also a white variety known as “Alba”.
Growing upright impatiens plants
Impatiens arguta is an extremely easy plant to grow, provided it has consistently moist soil and protection from the afternoon sun. Although the plant has some sun tolerance, it grows best in partial shade to shade, like common impatiens.
Upright impatiens plants also tolerate heat very well when planted in rich, fertile, moist soil.
The plants are so easy to grow that they can also be grown as houseplants. New plants can be propagated from seeds [4] , cuttings [5] or divisions. When grown outdoors, they are also rarely bothered by deer. These rare plants may not be available in local greenhouses and garden centers, but many online retailers have recently started selling them worldwide.
Impatiens Won’t Bloom: Reasons for No Flowers on Impatiens Plant
Impatiens plants [1] make great bedding and container flowers that should bloom reliably all summer long. They are an old substitute for bright, full color. That’s why it can be especially frustrating when your plants stop blooming or don’t even start blooming. Read on to learn more about why impatiens don’t bloom.
Why are my impatiens not blooming?
Of all the possible reasons why impatiens don’t bloom, one of the most common is improper sun exposure. Impatiens plants bloom best with some shade [2] , a requirement that often leads to misunderstanding. While some impatiens bloom well in full shade, they usually do better with at least some sun. On the other hand, too much sun also hinders flowering. Avoid planting your impatiens in full sun. If you have them in full shade and they aren’t blooming well, try moving them to a location that gets a few hours of good afternoon sun.
Another common cause of no flowers in impatiens is incorrect watering. When the roots of impatiens plants become waterlogged, the flowers tend to fall off and the foliage takes on a reddish tinge. If you see this, reduce your watering. However, don’t cut back too far. You never want your soil to dry out completely.
If your impatiens are not blooming, it could also be due to overfertilization. Many fertilizers are high in nitrogen, which is great for foliage growth but bad for flower production. If you have been fertilizing heavily with nitrogen, stop fertilizing and give the plant a chance to replenish its nutrients.
Overzealous pruning can also be the cause of impatiens without flowers. Impatiens plants benefit from deadheading [3] , but if you cut back entire stems, you may accidentally remove flower buds before they can open. On the other hand, if your impatiens plant is long and leggy [4] and you don’t see many buds, cutting back the stems is actually a good option to encourage new, bushier growth with new flowers.
Seed Propagation of New Guinea Impatiens – Can You Grow New Guinea Impatiens From Seed?
Year after year, many of us gardeners go out and spend a small fortune on annuals to brighten up the garden. An annual favorite that can be quite expensive because of its bright flowers and colorful leaves is New Guinea Impatiens [1] . No doubt many of us have considered growing these more expensive plants through seeds. Can you grow New Guinea impatiens from seed? Read on to learn more about planting New Guinea impatiens seeds.
Can you grow New Guinea Impatiens from seeds?
Several varieties of New Guinea impatiens, like many other hybridized plants, do not produce viable seeds, or they produce seeds that revert to one of the original plants used to create the hybrid. For this reason, many plants, including most New Guinea impatiens, are propagated by cuttings rather than seeds. Propagation by cuttings creates exact clones of the plant from which the cutting came.
New Guinea impatiens have become more popular than common impatiens due to their showy, colorful foliage, tolerance to sunlight, and resistance to some of the fungal diseases that can affect impatiens [2] . Although they can tolerate more sunlight, they really perform best with morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun.
In a perfect world, we could simply fill a partially shaded bed or window box with New Guinea impatiens seeds and they would grow like wildflowers. Unfortunately it’s not that simple. However, certain varieties of New Guinea impatiens can be grown from seed with a little more care.
Seed propagation of New Guinea Impatiens
New Guinea impatiens in the Java, Divine and Spectra series can be grown from seed. The Sweet Sue and Tango varieties also produce germinable seeds for plant propagation. New Guinea impatiens cannot tolerate frost or cool night temperatures. Seeds need to be started indoors in a warm location 10-12 weeks before the expected last frost date [3] in your area.
For proper germination of New Guinea impatiens, temperatures should be consistently between 70 and 75°F (21-24°C). Temperatures above 80 F. (27 C.) produce leggy seedlings and they also need an adequate light source to germinate. Seeds are planted at a depth of about ¼-½ inch (about 1 cm or a little less). New Guinea impatiens grown from seed take approximately 15-20 days to germinate.
What Are Sunpatiens: How To Plant Sunpatiens In Garden Beds
Impatiens [1] , also known as touch-me-not plant, is a very popular flowering plant suitable for garden beds and containers. It is native to forest floors and must be grown in the shade to avoid being scorched by the sun. Sunpatiens is a relatively new impatiens hybrid that thrives in full sun and hot, humid weather, greatly expanding the area over which gardeners can spread impatiens color. Read on to learn more about planting sunpatiens and sunpatiens plant care.
What are Sunpatiens Plants?
Sunpatiens is a hybrid bred by the Japanese seed company Sakata. It is a careful combination of wild “traditional” impatiens (from a plant species native to Indonesia) with the larger, heat-loving Impatiens hawkeri , native to New Guinea. The result is a variety of impatiens that thrive in full sun [2] and hot, humid weather, blooming continuously from spring through fall. It makes an excellent container and bedding flower for long-lasting color [3] .
Interestingly, the Indonesian government has agreed that Sakata can continue to use “indigenous genetic resources” from their country to make more SunPatiens varieties available, but they must follow Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) guidelines. This essentially ensures the preservation of plant-rich countries such as Indonesia or South Africa.
Sunpatiens Plant Care
Growing Sunpatiens plants is very easy and low maintenance. The plants prefer well-drained soil [4] that is rich in organic material. They grow very well in both containers and garden beds and like full sun or partial shade.
They should be watered every day for the first week or two after planting to help them become established. After that, they only need to be watered moderately and can usually be revived from wilting with a good portion of water.
Sunpatiens companion plants are any colorful flowering plants that also enjoy full sun. When growing sunpatiens plants, especially when grouped with other plant varieties, it is important to know how much space you want to fill. Sunpatiens plants come in three size categories: compact, sprawling and vigorous.
Both compact and sprawling plants are perfect for containers. (Compact plants stay small, while sprawling ones fill a hanging basket or pot spectacularly). Vigorous plants are best for garden beds because they grow quickly and fill a space with bright colors quickly and effectively.