Colour mix on Impatiens Walleriana

19 years ago

Hello Everyone, As I understand Impatiens Walleriana, is it a species that has been grown in Australia as a common garden plant for many years, known casually as Bizzie Lizzie. The variety I speak of has been around for many years and grows well in shade and semi shade, is generally an open growth bush up to half metre in height, can have blooms on the same bush where the colours can vary a little from entire same colour to blooms mixed with white patches etc and has bloom petals that do not overlap and self seeds prolifically - very close to being a weed.

If so, they differ much to what is on offer these days as Impatiens Walleriana. Are today's Impatiens Walleriana a hybrid of the old Bizzie Lizzie using other compatible species? .. or the result of breeding within the Impatiens Walleriana species ?

Do any of today's Impatiens Walleriana with compact, low growing bushs and blooms that have overlapping bloom petals exhibit varied bloom colours/combination of colours on the same bush as did the old open petalled Bizzie Lizzie ?

Regards, Brian Kerr.

Comments (4)

MrImpatiens
19 years ago
Brian
They are all Impatiens walleriana. There are some very similar species namely usambarensis which will cross naturely with walleriana. Walleriana is a very veriable species, the white spotting is just a mutation in one plant that had a star like pattern. As far as my knowledge goes, no other species are involved in the breeding process. Usambarensis maybe in there somewhere and I do know that the companies have worked with it but I dont think anything has been made available. Usambarensis is more sun tolerant than walleriana but not really that much more. The one hybrid I have has fuzzy leaves which it got from its usambarensis parent and bright orange flowers from the other.
april15
18 years ago
Hi Brian, I don't know what I might be doing wrong. I purchased Bizzie Lizzie seeds(D>T>Brown brand)and they did not germinate. They were in a sealed foil pack and not out of date. About 20 years ago I use to grow them with no trouble at all, so much so they use to get out of hand due to self germination. Is it me or are they doing something to the seeds these days??
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brianmkerr
Original Author
18 years ago
Hi April 15, Chances are you treated them too well. They like in a natural environment with a semi moist surface and not too much humidity. I mix my dry seed with coarse, dry sand and shake out through a coarse holed ex-food spice container onto just moist seed raising mix in a tray, cover the tray with glass and put it in the shade - I do not cover the seed ie plant to any depth. No more water is needed and in a week or 2 (seasonal), they are starting to germinate. Remove cover bit by bit and monitor moistness. Move into more dappled light as they grow. If dry, water lightly. As plant increases in size, increase water and fertilizer. Pot on before too big.
Good luck.
Regards, Brain Kerr.
PS Mr Impatiens is the one to ask really as I am only just delving into hybridizing, though do have gardening experience.
april15
18 years ago
It sounds like i may have overwatered. In fact i am pretty sure that i did by what you say. I may give it another go since I have another packet of seeds and this time I shall follow your instructions. Thanks Brian. I am greatfull for the advice