Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  New Guinea Impatiens, Busy Lizzie, Busy Lizzy

Group/Class:  SunPatiens Series

Brand:  Sakata

Description:

From shade to sun this variety will thrive all season long; produces bright red blooms that pop against dark green foliage; this fast growing selection shows great performance in hanging baskets, containers and garden landscapes; heat tolerant

Ornamental Features

SunPatiens® Vigorous Orchid Impatiens features bold lavender round flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early fall. Its spiny pointy leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

SunPatiens® Vigorous Orchid Impatiens is a dense herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

SunPatiens® Vigorous Orchid Impatiens is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

SunPatiens® Vigorous Orchid Impatiens will grow to be about 32 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 21 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This fast-growing annual will normally live for one full growing season, needing replacement the following year.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

SunPatiens® Vigorous Orchid Impatiens is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.