Johnnieb
Impatiens omeiana should be hardy for you I hear it will survive a Zone 6 winter with mulch. This is speaking from my Zone 9 of course but I am very sure it will do fine. Yes it is very pretty though it doesnt hold the variegation very well for me I think it may be the heat.
It is a spreader but it doesnt compete well with large leafed plants that are planted to close to it. give it its own space in light shade. My plant went from a 8inch bowl to a 18 inch bowl and filled it up in a season. Now I have to find a bigger bowl or chop it up which it needs. I have another variety of omeiana that has silver variegated leaves more of a silver crackling this one has fill up its pot as well it was in a 6 inch and now its new shoots are coming up at the edge of the pot.
Derick

Hi John-

Was just looking up information on it myself after seeing big bunches of it being pulled at the Chinese Gardens here. Mine survived 17ºF in January, fully exposed without mulch. Several other good hard freezes over the winter too. It's been on the exposed North side of a nursery here for several years as well. At the nursery they are pretty small, 8-12". The stuff in the protected walled garden is about 18" tall, maybe more. Mine's just a tiny sprout with two stems about 4" high- was just a small cutting last fall, and still did fine with the cold and wet here despite not being established yet.

The light marking never fades much here, but our nights are always cool.

Vincent

BTW it looks like a New Guinea crossed with a jewelweed. very pretty, even striking. Got my attention the first time I saw it, and still does.

It is slightly hardier than Oxalis regnellii atropurpurea here when in pots, but that might be because of the cold dampness we get for so long each year rots the Oxalis. Planted out they both did fine. I planted them together for the clash value ;)

Vincent

Thanks everybody, I did end up ordering it (from Plant Delights) and it arrived, already sprouting in the pot, in late February. I put it outside on my deck and only got around to planting it in the ground last weekend.

Early on I left it out one night when I shouldn't have, and the foliage all got nipped by frost. It quickly filled back in, and when I went to plant it there were enough plants coming up in the pot to split 3 ways so I planted them in different parts of the garden, hoping that at least one spot would be to its liking. So far the foliage is dark green with nice silvery markings. We'll see how well it holds up to our summer heat and humidity (which are just too much for many plants).

I split a plant with my brother who got it from PltDelights two years ago. The first year I left it in a 12" pot outside over winter and had about a dozen plants come up last spring. I planted several in a semi-shaded area and potted the rest which I have been using for trading. The ones in the ground came back this spring - each is now 6 or 8 plants spread out in a rough circle about 8 inches in diameter. I have toad lilies, cardinal flowers, tiarella and heucherellas in the same area. I will always bring inside at least a couple of pots of these impatiens to be safe in case of an exceptionally cold winter. If nothing else, it makes starting plants easier than digging them out of the ground. Mine have yellow flowers in the late fall, but no seeds. Anyone else seen any seeds on these Impatiens? Any chance they could be crossed with another type?

Omeiana is a really neat balsam. I got mine from PD also. I put mine in a pot which it quickly filled to the edge with stems it really spreads fast that way. I have divied it up now from a 18 inch bowl. I have noticed that a lot of the Asian species seem to be self sterile. I have another that could be the same species, it looks similar, but the leave dont have the same markings. Heronswood is selling a species that they collected which has the same habit with plan green leaves and pink flowers. Asia has a of hardy species. I would love to get my hands on some more. Impatiens are so new right now not a lot of hybridizing has taken place. Breeding companies only work with what sells it up to collecters and other plant nuts to really play around with them and get new things.

I bought an Impatiens omeiana from Heronswood early spring. It has done fine until now. It is really hot here around 90 degrees every day(it usually isn't that hot in may) Does it not do well in heat or am I doing something wrong? I have it in shade that gets a little filtered sun a couple of times a day. I have been watering the pot every other day, is that enough? Thanks for any help you can give me.

My omeiana is doing well for me and my temps can get into the 100s though it looks a bit ratty mostly because it is under potted. I have noticed that some times when it dies back a bit it comes back really well and stronger than ever.

During the time when mine does die back some, would it be ok to give it some plant food or should I just wait to see if it is going to come back?
thanks

I dont think it will really hurt it to much. It is quite attive under ground.

Is there any other varieties of impatiens that have varigated leaves. I have a cutting with green and whitish leaves. Didn't know the kind. Hope it is the omeina that you are talking about. jjappleby

There are some. There is a variegated niamniamensis that was on ebay resently there is mackyana cleari that has neat silver markings in the leaf I think there is a pic of it in the gallery. A lot of variegated wallerianas in many forms and of course the NGs

Thanks, Mr. Impatiens, I will keep my fingers crossed that it is the Omeiana. Sounds like it would be a nice one to have. Maybe I can tell when it blooms. jjappleby