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gwendolyn718

Impatiens...do they really do well in full sun?

gwendolyn718
16 years ago

I'm not sure if it was the variety of impatiens I purchased last year, but they did not thrive well at all in full sun. They wilted under the hot sun until they eventually didn't perk up anymore. Has anyone had a similar problem? It didn't seem to be a water problem...they were not in a container and the other plants did well...

Comments (25)

  • loveflowers
    16 years ago

    There is a variety of impatiens that will tolerate the sun. I use them every year on my deck that gets full sun all day. I have never had a problem with them.
    I'm in NJ.

  • gwendolyn718
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    When I go to buy the impatiens this year I'm going to try to find a pack with a care tag. At home depot they usually have generic care tags that don't specify what type of impatiens. Maybe I'll try a nursery instead.

  • loveflowers
    16 years ago

    I just went to Lowe's and I purchased the impatiens for the sun. The variety is called Vinca's. These are the one's I have been using for 4 years and never have a problem with the hot summer sun.

  • MrImpatiens
    16 years ago

    Vincas are not impatiens but a member of the oleander family. They just look like impatiens and they are concidered a sub for sunny sites.

  • greenhouser
    16 years ago

    I also lived in NYC, in the Borough of Queens. I found that impatiens did fine in the sun if away from the radiating heat of the pavement and kept in a rich moist soil. They wont do good in a poor clay soil that bakes and dries easily. Improve the soil, move them back from any concrete walks or sunny walls and never let them dry out.

  • gwendolyn718
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I plan on putting these impatiens in an area that has alredy been planted in...the soil is very soft & I'll supplement with some gardening soil on top. I wrote down the names of these varieties and will try to find them when I buy them. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

  • donbhoff
    16 years ago

    I see a lot odf impatiens here in SW Florida. They mound beautifully and seem to withstand the Florida sunlight very well. Seems strange to me!

  • gwendolyn718
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I went to the local nursey and there were two varieties. The new guinea type aren't sold in flats but in the larger round containers. I bought a flat of super elfins because I know 32 plants is the right number for the area I want to plant them in and I also liked the available colors...I'm just going to watch how long they are being pounded be the sun. If they begin to wilt I will try watering them twice a day. They are in a raised bed, not in a container. My sprinkler system for the grass actually hits them also. Maybe next year I'll get a little more daring and try the new guinea type. They are beautiful but I really had bad luck with a hanging basket after one rain storm last summer :(

  • mindysuewho
    16 years ago

    I have planted Impatiens for years bought from places like Lowes, Home Depot, etc. I've found that, for me, they bloom better in full sun than in partial shade. They are not fussy about soil or watering. As for tne New Guineas, they seem to need daily watering. Once they wilt, they never come back the same.

  • mrh16137
    16 years ago

    I live in California, and last June, I bought six Impatiens from Home Depot in quart containers that were listed on the container as "Sun Impatiens." Those things have taken-off like nothing I have ever had before. Everything in my front yard is full sun, and I have a hard time finding things to grow there, except for my Roses and Inca Lilies. I wanted to plant some more Impatiens, but couldn't find them, so I took a clipping with the stem, leaves and blooms to Lowe's and found that they are the New Guinea Impatiens that some of you have posted about. The leaves are dark green with jagged edges, and the blooms have little colored "tails" trailing from them. I do keep them wet, never letting the soil dry out. They are so full and lush now (18-20 inches tall and at least that wide) that you can't even see the soil, so keeping the soil wet isn't very hard.

  • darcymom
    16 years ago

    SunPatiens are actually exclusively grown for and sold at Home Depot by Viva growers. They look like regular impatiens but larger. In my opinion, they do not look like the New Guineas (but they are crossbred with them.) They are very vibrant and do extremely well in my "baking" back yard in the chicago area. Just waiting for them to arrive in this area.

  • jane__ny
    16 years ago

    I have grown Impatients in full sun for many years. I have very long beds which I fill with them as a solid border. If you plant them close together, they shade each other and their roots stay cool. There was an old variety called Blitz, which grew very tall. By mid summer, they were almost 4ft tall. Looked like shrubs. I think Parks still sells the seed, but they only have mixed colors. I use solid. I plant the tallest variety I can find.

  • maidinmontana
    16 years ago

    It's nice to know some of you have good results with growing impatients in sun. Last year (first time growing them) I had them in a bed at the back of my front deck. I planted them around my hosta towards the back of the deck, they did very well, the outside faucet is right there as well as the window A/C so the ground was nice and moist. This year I wanted to do them again and more of them but as I was planting them I noticed there was more sun than I remembered, and the sun this bed gets is the late afternoon sun which is the hottest of the day, but I am going to try it, I have them in the ground and so far so good, if they make it it will be a pretty site, all light and dark pink ones.

  • e36yellowm3
    15 years ago

    Hi all, I grow Impatiens all along my "natural area" border. That area goes from pretty shady to full sun and all the Impatiens do fine. The ones in full sun do wilt during the sunny afternoon hours here in Raleigh, but they perk back up in late afternoon when it gets a bit cooler/less sunny. And of course, the ones in full sun need more water, but Impatiens in general are heavy drinkers :-) I grow all my Impatiens from seeds I collect the prior year and sow directly in the ground. They're just the best all around easy plant! (I just wish the deer would like them a bit less.)

  • tom8olvr
    15 years ago

    I start all my impatiens from seed. I grow both the New Guinea and 'regular' impatiens. I've had great luck with both. I do have one spot of one bed that gets considerable sun, and the 'regular' imps do fine there...
    I'm visual:
    This is a NG imp, Java Coral
    {{gwi:21614}}
    {{gwi:713}}
    This is an illustration of the imps growing side by side - both are doing great.
    {{gwi:715}}
    {{gwi:17381}}
    Another bed - 1/2 impatiens and half tomato plants
    {{gwi:17377}}
    I'm not sure if there's any illustrating how pretty they really were:
    {{gwi:25940}}
    This was earlier in the season.


    needless to say, I'm a fan of the new guineas.

  • e36yellowm3
    15 years ago

    Wow - these are great! Nice job. I've never grown the new guinea ones from seed. In fact, I've never seen seed pods on them either. How did you get that to happen?

  • tom8olvr
    15 years ago

    I have gotten my NG's to throw a pod or two, but I didn't
    start any from seed I've saved from them. I bought the
    NG's from I believe it was stokes... or hazzard seeds.

  • ms_mato
    13 years ago

    What is regular impatien? I grow impatiens every year in large quanities in full sun with great success. Do regular impatiens have a name?

  • Bombeni
    9 years ago

    I managed to get home from a garden buying trip with a dozen Sunpatiens. I just didn't notice they were a sun variety. I live in a condo and my garden area gets only two hours of sun, so I always plant impatiens. Anyone know if these would do okay? If not I'm going to give them to one of the neighbors who get a lot of sun. I don't want to waste the time and effort and good potting mix if they won't bloom.

  • Marty56
    9 years ago

    I've planted Sunpatiens for a few years now and was very happy with them. But not now. This year they wilt under full sun even though I've done nothing different than the past few years that I've planted them. I haven't had luck with them in partial shade either. This will be the last year I plant them.

  • JannSM
    9 years ago

    This year IâÂÂm growing a SunPatiens Compact Lilac and 2 SunPatiens Compact Electric Orange, each in a pot. They have not liked being in direct noonday sunlight in Raleigh NC. WeâÂÂve had some really hot days. They demanded so much watering that I moved them to partial shade, with an hour or so direct morning sun. They have liked that much better, but they have not produced the bountiful blooms shown in the marketing pictures even though I have fed them lots of bloom booster fertilizer and gave them a really nice potting mix.

    For whatever reason, the Lilac grew faster and larger than the Electric Oranges. The Oranges are just now catching up in size.

    Tomorrow I plan to move the Lilac into deeper shade to see how it responds. I need some color in that spot so this will be a test to see whether I should consider planting Compact Sunpatiens there next year. IâÂÂm also planning to try Dragon Begonia in that area next year. Think I wonâÂÂt use the Lilac with the red Dragon Begonia. Anyone have suggestions for other Compact Sunpatiens colors I could use with the Dragon Begonia?

  • DavidmGeary
    9 years ago

    This is picture of my impatien which loves the sun and will quiet literally grow around corners just to be in the sunshine...however being in the sun is thirsty work so a tray of H2O is a must...

  • DavidmGeary
    9 years ago

    Sun loving busy lizzie (old fashioned impatien)measuring 4foot 5inches

  • DavidmGeary
    9 years ago

    Busy lizzie impatien tall pink variety cuttings available...