New Guinea Impatiens

[Walter John]

I had this batch of NGIs in too much sun so I transported them to this spot under a tree. No matter what I do, I can't seem to capture the true colours of these lovelies, they are just too damn vibrant for my camera, must upgrade.

Note the Areca vestiaria nearby with guano variegation.

[Al in Kona]

Wal, you got some beauties there!

Yes the New Guinea impatients are very beautiful with big vibrant colored flowers and nice foliage as well. They are readily available here but so far I've only grown a few of them. My observation has been that they don't do well under trees (including palms) where there is root competion. They seem to prefer some sun but not full on all day sun for us. I need to use them in more varied positions and see where they thrive best.

[SubTropicRay]

I've got some doing beautifully under the high shade of a Live Oak tree.

[Mark_NoVA]

In this part of the world, they are sold as annuals and are found en masse at all the gardening centers and big box stores. I like 'em anyway, though!

[DoomsDave]

Yeah, well, flowers, whoo-hoo, but, well, like head-hunting, they went out of style.

Lovely as they (not the head hunters) are.

Sigh.

[Dave-Vero]

Raymond J. Morgan's book "Impatiens: the vibrant world of busy lizzies, balsams, and touch-me-nots" indicates that the common bedding-plant Impatiens areI. walleriana hybrids. The species is from Africa. New Guinea impatiens have been growing in popularity in recent years--certainly plenty of kinds to grow from seed in the Thompson & Morgan catalog.

The mass-produced ones make impressive winter flower beds here, peaking around March, just when the tourists are most abundant. They seem especially happy within a few blocks of the beach in full sun. Maybe it's the occasional fog and showers. I need to try them in my yard, but away from under an oak, where the "ground" seems to be a spongy mass of tree roots, humus, and mole tunnels. It seems to be inverse spaghetti down there. Bromeliads (which don't have big root systems) and St. Augustine grass flourish; everything else looks consumptive.

[DoomsDave]

  Dave-Vero said:

Raymond J. Morgan's book "Impatiens: the vibrant world of busy lizzies, balsams, and touch-me-nots" indicates that the common bedding-plant Impatiens areI. walleriana hybrids. The species is from Africa. New Guinea impatiens have been growing in popularity in recent years--certainly plenty of kinds to grow from seed in the Thompson & Morgan catalog.

The mass-produced ones make impressive winter flower beds here, peaking around March, just when the tourists are most abundant. They seem especially happy within a few blocks of the beach in full sun. Maybe it's the occasional fog and showers. I need to try them in my yard, but away from under an oak, where the "ground" seems to be a spongy mass of tree roots, humus, and mole tunnels. It seems to be inverse spaghetti down there. Bromeliads (which don't have big root systems) and St. Augustine grass flourish; everything else looks consumptive.

Yowza!

Here I come . . .

[Dave-Vero]

Here's a traffic circle of Impatiens walleriana in Taipei, February 2007. A frost-free climate that does cool enough in winter to allow some temperate species to thrive.

[Walter John]

Wow, there's just a few plants there. Thanks for the pic.