Impatiens have 850-1,000 species that originated from Africa. They vary in blooms and can produce flowers in colors of red, orange, pink, white and violet. Impatiens undergo a sex change during its lifetime — it’s a male when the flower first opens but becomes a female once it sheds its pollen shells.
These colorful flowers are defined by their various names. Firstly, impatiens is the Latin for impatient because the seed pods are thought to be impatient to open up. It’s called touch-me-not because the seed capsules are sensitive to touch and will react by ‘exploding’ and shooting its seeds as far as 20 ft. away. It’s also called Busy Lizzy because it produces plenty of blooms.
Types
Accent Burgundy
A beautiful burgundy red colored impatiens.
Accent Lavender Blue
A striking lavender blue impatiens with dark lavender centers.
Accent Premium Bright Eye
Beautiful white impatiens with dark red centers.
Accent Premium Deep Orange
A dark orange variety of impatiens.
Accent Premium Lilac
A dark magenta-like lilac variety of impatiens.
Accent Premium Pink
A beautiful medium pink variety with dark pink centers.
Accent Premium Red
Impatiens in a striking, dark red color.
Accent Premium Rose
A rose pink colored variety, with centers of darker pink and light yellow.
Accent Premium Salmon
Beautiful salmon-orange impatiens that truly stand out.
Accent Premium Violet Star
Impatiens in a violet and white color which resemble a star.
Accent Premium Violet
A striking deep violet colored impatiens.
Accent Red Star
Beautiful impatiens in the colors red and white; it has a star-like appearance.
Applause Orange Blaze (New Guinea Impatiens)
With bright orange flowers and variegated foliage, the Applause Orange Blaze grows 1 foot wide, 1 foot tall, and can tolerate cold weather better than other types of impatiens.
Athena Appleblossom
Has medium and light pink petals that look stunning.
Balsamina Impatiens
Also called Garden Balsam Impatiens, the flowers grow in beautiful clusters and the stems are sturdy, growing up to 30 inches in height. They have blade-like narrow leaves, and if you’re interested in growing them, you can start them with seeds or indoors before moving them outdoors.
Bedding Impatiens Lipstick
Lipstick red-pink in color and very attractive.
Bedding Impatiens XP Blue Pearl
Medium blue-lavender with white flushes and darker centers.
Bedding Impatiens XP Pink
A beautiful shade of pink with dark-pink centers.
Bedding Impatiens XP Punch
Dark pink-punch in color with striking foliage.
Bedding Impatiens XP Red
Striking red petals with white or light-colored centers.
Bedding Impatiens XP Salmon Splash
Variegated dark and light salmon orange in color, with the darker color being in the center.
Bedding Impatiens XP Violet
Bright violet in color, including the centers.
Bedding Impatiens XP White
A shiny white impatiens with beautiful green foliage.
Bedding Impatiens
Also known as Super Elfin Impatiens, they and other similar varieties mass produce and grow quickly. Because of this trait, the Bedding Impatiens can stifle the weeds in your garden. For best results, make sure they get plenty of water when it’s hot outside, and plant them in partial shade.
Celebration Blush Pink (New Guinea Impatiens)
Growing over 16 inches in height, the Celebration Blush Pink has large, soft pink petals with a center of dark pink. It sits over dark green foliage, and the contrast makes it a truly striking plant.
Celebration Bright Salmon (New Guinea Impatiens)
With bold salmon and pink colored petals and a height of up to 16 inches tall, the Celebration Bright Salmon has dark green foliage that makes it a very eye-catching plant.
Celebration Lavender Glow (New Guinea Impatiens)
The Celebration Lavender Glow has beautiful, large lavender-pink flowers and dark green foliage. It grows up to 16 inches tall and its flowers are so attractive that they almost glow.
Celebration Orange (New Guinea Impatiens)
Showy, stunning bright orange flowers and dark foliage make this one noticeable plant, and like other impatiens, it grows to roughly 16 inches in height.
Celebration Raspberry Rose (New Guinea Impatiens)
This flower has large, raspberry-pink petals with small white centers and dark green foliage that makes it truly stunning. It looks almost Christmas-like and grows up to 16 inches in height.
Celebrette Deep Red (New Guinea Impatiens)
With rich red flowers that contain tiny white centers, it also consists of dark green foliage and grows up to 16 inches high. In addition to its height and beauty, the Celebrette Deep Red is very attractive to hummingbirds.
Celebrette Purple Stripe (New Guinea Impatiens)
Growing only 10 inches in height, the Celebrette Purple Stripe is a striking shade of purple and is streaked with white. It is eye-catching and looks great in anyone’s garden.
Divine Bronze (New Guinea Impatiens)
These are bright orange-bronze in color and quite striking.
Divine Lavender (New Guinea Impatiens)
A beautiful shade of lavender with dark centers.
Divine Lipstick (New Guinea Impatiens)
Lipstick pink and reddish in color, with light centers.
Divine Pink (New Guinea Impatiens)
Medium pink petals with dark pink centers and stunning foliage.
Divine Red (New Guinea Impatiens)
Bright red in color and with light-colored centers.
Divine Scarlet (New Guinea Impatiens)
Similar to the Divine Red, but a more shiny, unique shade of red.
Divine Violet (New Guinea Impatiens)
A beautiful deep shade of violet that is truly eye-catching.
Divine White (New Guinea Impatiens)
The white in this flower complements any other flower you put next to it.
Florific Red (New Guinea Impatiens)
A beautiful shade of basic red, it looks fantastic next to the green foliage.
Florific Sweet Orange (New Guinea Impatiens)
These petals are medium orange in color highlighted with darker orange and light centers.
Florific Violet (New Guinea Impatiens)
A beautiful shade of violet purple with light-colored centers.
Florific White (New Guinea Impatiens)
These flowers are bright white in color and look great in hanging baskets.
Infinity Cherry Red (New Guinea Impatiens)
The Infinity Cherry Red variety of impatiens consist of bright red flowers and grows up to 14 inches tall. It is eye-catching and blooms all summer and fall.
Infinity Lavender (New Guinea Impatiens)
With beautiful lavender purple flowers that are quite large in size, the Infinity Lavender blooms all summer and fall, and they grow up to 14 inches tall and 14 inches in width.
Jewelweed Impatiens
These impatiens grow up to five feet in height in the wild, usually near beds of stinging nettles. The flowers are usually either orange or yellow in color, and they sparkle like sequins when they get in the sunlight. They grow best when they have damp soil and are planted in partial shade. There are two main types of Jewelweed Impatiens: the orange type, called the spotted jewelweed or the spotted touch-me-not, and the yellow type, known as the pale jewelweed or the pale touch-me-not.
Painted Paradise Lilac (New Guinea Impatiens)
With variegated foliage and large, lilac colored petals, the Painted Paradise Lilac grows up to 14 inches tall and has a compact look.
Painted Paradise Pink (New Guinea Impatiens)
This plant has foliage that is highly variegated and beautiful pink petals with dark pink centers. It has a compact look and grows up to 14 inches tall.
Painted Paradise Red (New Guinea Impatiens)
With variegated foliage and attractive red blooms, it grows up to 14 inches tall and is a favorite for anyone who loves the color red.
Painted Paradise White (New Guinea Impatiens)
A flower with a unique, one-of-a-kind look, the Painted Paradise White has large white petals and yellow centers, complemented by foliage that is a variegated yellow color. It grows up to 14 inches high.
Paradise Cherry Rose (New Guinea Impatiens)
These plants grow up to 16 inches in height and have vibrant, red-pink petals and centers of a lighter color.
Paradise Lavender on Fuchsia (New Guinea Impatiens)
Truly stunning and eye-catching, these flowers are a beautiful shade of lavender and have a striking fuchsia stripe on each petal. It grows up to 16 inches tall and its bi-colored petals attract attention from everyone.
Paradise Mango Orange (New Guinea Impatiens)
With dark green foliage and bright orange petals, its mounding, 16-inch-tall stature is both beautiful and memorable.
Paradise Rose on Violet (New Guinea Impatiens)
The Paradise Rose on Violet grows up to 16 inches tall and has petals that are colored lavender-pink with rose colored stripes. It is a favorite of anyone who loves these two colors.
Paradise Salmon Pink (New Guinea Impatiens)
With beautiful pink petals that are flushed with an equally beautiful shade of orange, the Paradise Salmon Pink is a mounding plant that stands 16 inches tall, and its unique colors make it a popular talking point.
Sonic Magic Pink (New Guinea Impatiens)
This plant has large petals in candy pink which are streaked with white. A compact plant, the Sonic Magic Pink is perfect for containers and as a cut flower.
SunPatiens Compact Electric Orange
As the name suggests, the petals are bright orange and are certainly eye-catching.
SunPatiens Compact Lilac
Lilac pink petals that are nothing short of stunning.
SunPatiens Compact Pink Blush
Blush pink and white complement one another in this variety.
SunPatiens Compact Red
A vibrant, very noticeable red impatiens.
Tumbler Rose
Medium pink in color and beautiful.
Tumbler Salmon
Bright orange in color, resembling salmon.
Tumbler Scarlet
Eye-catching and bright red in color.
Tumbler Violet
Bright, dark violet and very eye-catching.
Tumbler White
Stunning white in color and easily complements other flowers.
Xtreme Bright Rose
Dark rose in color with small, green leaves.
Xtreme Orange
Small, green leaves accent this bright orange flower.
Xtreme Pink
Light pink with dark pink centers—a truly striking plant.
Xtreme Red
Bright red with small, green, attractive leaves.
Xtreme Violet
Has short leaves that are a beautiful dark violet color.
Xtreme White
A nice shade of white that easily complements other flowers near it.
How to Prepare Impatiens
Impatiens contain two valuable nutrients which have proven to have medicinal value – Tannin and Lawsone. The research is scarce regarding using impatiens as a tea or consuming it in any other way, and in fact, many sources claim that if the plant is ingested, it can cause you great discomfort, although it is not toxic or fatal. However, rubbing the flower on your skin to get rid of certain irritations has proven to be highly effective, and below are some of this flower’s major benefits.
What to Use Impatiens for
- Skin ailments including poison ivy can be relieved by using impatiens, and they can also be used to prevent any type of allergic reaction, including athlete’s foot and dandruff.
- In addition to rashes and other ailments, you can use impatiens topically to treat a variety of conditions, from scrapes and burns to many others. To use impatiens for this purpose, crush the stems and petals together until it forms a sap-like material, then rub it directly on the part of the skin you wish to heal.
- Impatiens can also help with pain relief, regardless of where the pain is coming from. In these cases, you may have to find an oil made from the impatiens plant, and you can make your own tincture from the stems and petals. This remedy can provide pain relief from osteoporosis, or sinus pain, and even works to treat pain felt by animals.
- If you find a juice made from the leaves, it can relieve and eliminate warts and treat snake bites.
- Impatiens are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, which gives them numerous other uses.
- The flowers also make a very cooling tonic, which can be great for treating sunburn and other types of burns.
- The seed is an expectorant and has enjoyed some success in treating even serious illnesses such as cancer.
- The powdered seeds have been given to women giving birth to give them extra strength.
A Few Words of Caution
For the most part, if you purchase powder, oil, or any other concoction that is made from impatiens in a health food or other type of store, you should be safe as long as you follow the instructions to a tee. It is best to not make a concoction yourself if you plan to ingest it or drink it, since the research is not complete on the side effects. If you apply it topically, start out with small amounts and build up from there, and as with any other herbal or natural remedy, make sure you get a complete exam by your doctor before you use impatiens or any other herb. If you know of a naturopathic physician, that doctor may be a better source of information, but the main point is to use caution every time, especially if you plan to consume any part of the plant for any reason.
