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Impatiens walleriana
Impatiens thrive in moderate shade, and need warm temperatures and moist soil. The plants form mounds from 8 to 24 inches around, and are covered with flowers all season long. They are tender perennials native to eastern Africa, but are grown as an annual in temperate climates. If protected from frost, they can be overwintered. Flower colors can be white, reds, pinks, oranges, and bicolors. Some varieties have double flowers that look like rosebuds. My favorite is a bright orange double flowered variety that looks great combined with blue Torenia for a gator-themed container. They are easy to grow in containers. Just make sure the containers do not get too much sun, and keep the soil evenly moist. They are very easy to propagate from cuttings. Just cut the stems and plant in moist soil. Roots should appear in a few days, even without rooting hormone. Plants can also be grown from seed. I sometimes get volunteers that germinate by themselves during the wet summer. So if you want to add color to shady spots in the summer garden Impatiens are one of the easiest plants to grow.
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