Impatiens walleriana

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Impatiens are among the easiest flowering houseplants and container plants there are – the grower confirms they grow well indoors, and they bloom happily in pots on a shady balcony, windowsill or patio where many flowers simply won’t.

Quick Details

• Container Size: A medium pot, about 3-10 L, for a 20-60 cm (8-24 in) plant; also perfect for window boxes and hanging baskets
• Indoor Suitability: A genuine houseplant (the grower marks it “Yes”) – one of the best for lower-light rooms
• Best Spot: Bright, indirect light indoors; outdoors half to full shade, or full sun where summers are mild and it is kept moist
• Soil & Drainage: Rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining potting mix
• Watering in Pots: Keep evenly moist – impatiens wilt fast when dry and pots dry quickly; never waterlogged

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• A real houseplant: The grower marks it suitable indoors. Give it bright, indirect light (an east or north window, or set back from a bright one), warmth and steady moisture, and it will flower for months.
• Keeping it neat: Pinch the tips to keep plants bushy and pick off spent blooms to keep it flowering.
• Overwintering: Frost-tender – bring pots indoors before frost, or take easy cuttings on a windowsill to carry plants through winter.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: Prized for shade – it flowers where sun-lovers fail. Shelter it from strong wind and, in hot climates, from harsh midday sun.
• Practicalities: Hanging baskets and window boxes dry out fast, so check moisture daily in heat; make sure pots drain freely.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A pot with strong drainage holes; skip a standing water saucer to avoid root rot. Plastic or glazed pots hold the steady moisture impatiens like better than fast-drying terracotta.
• Potting mix: Rich, aerated and moisture-retentive – an organic mix with peat or coir plus perlite.
• Feeding: Potted plants leach nutrients quickly – feed regularly through the growing season for continuous bloom.
• Season to season: Usually grown fresh each year, but plants can be potted up or renewed from cuttings.

Bloom & Edible Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Spring, summer and autumn
• Time to First Bloom: Quickly — young plants begin flowering within weeks of planting out in warm weather
• Flower Appearance: Flat, 5-petalled to double flowers, each petal elliptic to heart-shaped, in red, pink, orange, purple or white
• Edibility: The flowers are edible — mild and slightly sweet, pretty as a garnish or in salads

Detailed Blooming Overview

Impatiens walleriana (busy Lizzie) is one of the most generous flowerers for shade, blooming non-stop from spring through autumn (year-round where it is frost-free). The flat, softly fragrant flowers come in a wide range of colours and cover the plant continuously. The blooms are edible too, with a mild flavour, and make a colourful garnish.

Flower Characteristics

• Flat-faced flowers, single (five petals) to fully double.
• Each petal elliptic to heart-shaped.
• Colours red, pink, orange, purple and white.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Keeping it flowering: Busy Lizzie is self-cleaning and needs little deadheading; steady moisture and a light feed keep the flowers coming.
• For eating: Pick freshly opened, unsprayed blooms and use them the same day.

Bloom Health & Protection

• Impatiens downy mildew: This disease can cause sudden yellowing, leaf drop and collapse of buds and flowers in damp conditions — good spacing, drier foliage and choosing resistant strains (such as New Guinea types) are the main defences, as it is hard to cure once established.
• Botrytis (grey mould): In cool, wet, still air the flowers can rot and go grey-fuzzy — improving airflow and removing spent blooms usually keeps it at bay.