Consulta Plantas

Care of the plant Impatiens hawkeri or New Guinea impatiens

The genus Impatiens, family Balsaminaceae, comprises 1000 species of annual and perennial plants native to the Northern Hemisphere. Some species are: Impatiens hawkeri, Impatiens balfourii, Impatiens balsamina, Impatiens sodenii, Impatiens glandulifera, Impatiens repens, Impatiens walleriana.

Common name: New Guinea impatiens. This species is native of the Himalayas.

They are herbaceous plants with fleshy stems that reach 90 cm (35.43") in height. The leaves have bright green leaflets (light green, dark green or bronze). The showy flowers can be white, pink, orange, red, purple or purple. They bloom from mid-spring to mid-fall.

They are used in borders, in flowerbeds, to cover undergrowth, as indoor plants and in hanging pots.

The Impatiens hawkeri should be grown in a light exposure but without direct sun or in semi-shade. They do not resist frost.

The soil must be well drained and contain abundant organic matter.

Water frequently so that the substrate is always wet but without watering. Do not wet the flowers and leaves.

Fertilize every 15 days in spring and summer with mineral fertilizer.

Prune the tips of the branches of the young specimens to stimulate branching.

They can lose their leaves in the cold and you can lose their flowers if it receives little light. If there is excess watering the stems rot. If the humidity is low or they suffer from drought, they can be attacked by aphids and whiteflies.

They propagate by seeds planted in spring (germinate in 10 days) or by cuttings.

Images of the plant Impatiens hawkeri or New Guinea impatiens