New Guinea impatiens

[Walter John]

I used to grow these a few years ago until a wicked grub came along, brought his friends and they literally ate the entire 15 or so plants I painstakingly acquired from various nurseries over a long period, a real NG impatiens collection it was. So I gave up, until yesterday when I just couldn't resist and bought 5 plants. I was mulching with some red cypress and I decided to triangle a bed using the points of 3 palms and then stick the colour in the middle.

I was wondering if anyone else grows these what I consider to be quite tropical looking flower plants.

[putu enjula]

I tried to grow them in California (inland San Diego) and managed to kill all of them. I really like the one with a yellow stripe down the center of the leaf (it also has a hint of red in it too) I snagged a very small cutting of one recently but I couldn't get it going. We a have a more typical one that's very big. It was left over from the previous owner of the house... so it has to be over five years old. It gets no special treatment. Do you think the one with the striped leaves are harder to grow Walla... I mean Wal??

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

They sell the NG Impatiens in all the big box stores here. They come in a variety of colors and are just a bit less common than the regular Impatiens. I planted several of them in December and only 3 or so have not yet succumbed to the heat and wet of our summer here. They generally last only a season here (4-5 months) and occassionally last a couple of years. I have not noticed any real pests just perhaps nematodes and fungus.

Jerry

[Walter John]

Don't have an answer for you Angela, sorry.

Here's the bed of NG impatiens I was referring to, freshly planted (yesterday) with red cypress mulch.

[putu enjula]

Wal, I like the red ones! (of course)

I haven't seen any red ones in my casual plant shopping in the past few months... I've only see the red/orange.

Here's the only patch of impatiens we have.

[LJG]

I have tons Wal. It is one of my favorite - year round flowering plants. Just like some Begonias, the shallow roots need mulch. Well mulched, watered and partial shaded ones are perennials for me. I have some going on 4 years old. Each spring I cut them back.

There must be 30 different variations now.

[Walter John]

Here's a few close ups.

[putu enjula]

Here's a few close ups.

Nice. I like this one Wallarooni

[Really full garden]

These are common here and there are many varieties.They are impossible for me to grow here on the coast.It is just too hot.Here they do best in highland gardens (800-1500m) that get morning sun only.I have seen small hedges of these almost 50cm tall.I love them.I remember seeing lots of these in San Diego.

[Walter John]

Oh and here's the neighbours impatiens. So I'm not the only one in the street doing it with the NGs.

I found a nursery on Sunday arvo which sold these guys in punnets so I bought two so my collection is now at 11, close to my original number a few years ago.

Does anybody know how easy these propagate ?

[Walter John]

I found out these are very easy to propagate from cuttings, no rooting hormone needed.