SunPatiens? (Impatiens hawkeri x ??)

[rprimbs]

I really like the tropical look of the New Guinea Impatiens and I like that they are a perennial -- even if they are a tender perennial..

And then I heard about the "SunPatiens" at Home Depot and Lowe's (Strangely they have them mistagged at Lowe's. You have to check on the side of the pot). Apparently somebody crossed an Impatiens hawkeri with a wild Impatiens and breed a sun loving Impatiens.

I guess I am cheap because I bought only a couple of each color and I clipped them all to pieces and am starting them from cuttings. I've had them out in full sun all week, and they still look great so I believe that they will do well in the sun. Does anybody else grow them? Are they tough to get through the winter? Do they need to be covered with a frost blanket or sheet?

Edited April 6, 2014 by rprimbs

[_Keith]

  On 4/6/2014 at 6:50 PM, rprimbs said:

I guess I am cheap because I bought only a couple of each color and I clipped them all to pieces and am starting them from cuttings.

That's not cheap, that's smart. Let us know how it all turns out, with more pictures, of course.

[Palmarum]

Here in S. Florida, 'Sunpatiens' were bred as a replacement for the regular Impatiens that are used as a winter annual. Many bedding plant growers here in the area do not even grow the regular Impatiens anymore, due to their problems with nematodes over the summer, causing them to dry out and do poorly. The new 'Sunpatiens' do much better and grow throughout the year.

The winter has never been a problem for them here, as they are considered a new thing to handle the 'Sun' or the heat of the summer. I would think they to be as cold tolerant as regular Impatiens, perhaps even more so. Do you grow the regular Impatiens through the winter? If so, I would definitely try them there.

Impatiens are fun and easy to grow from cuttings. I used to grow a handful of different oddball species. They did fine for the short run but they had issues with the humidity and declined. I used to have a species with a yellow flower that grew almost like an Adenium, or Desert Rose, but it too did not like the periods of heavy rain and humidity. The genus is massive (around 900 species) so I would try any I could find again.

Ryan

[LJG]

I have some that just started there fourth spring in the ground. I find they handle full sun but don't do well in winter fully exposed. All the ones in mostly sun with some filtered light are still going strong. Great plants and worth the extra cost IMHO.

[kahili]

Impatiens started to get downy mildew across the country a few years ago and so growers don't grow them much anymore. They are looking for substitutes for impatiens, but Sunpatiens are not a good sub for impatiens (if you are looking for a shade garden) because they bloom best in full sun (like dragonwing begonias). From what I can see, they love hot, sunny areas that are allowed to dry out (or irrigated beds that have really good drainage ). They have struggled for me in the greenhouse over the winter-they don't like lots of cloudy days in the winter and are susceptible to rotting of the leaves and also seem to be a target for spider mites-but this is in a greenhouse. I kept them in a greenhouse over the summer last summer and they loved it-so it must be a cloudy/sun thing. Right now I am not loving them, but as soon as it gets sunnier and warmer, I think they will kick out of their funk.

Len-have they overwintered for you in the ground? Do they die back and if so-at what temps? I would think that they would not like frost, and definitely not freezing temps. I want to get these outside, but we have a few more nights at 39 or so, so possible frost. I can cover them, but not sure what they will do at those temps

[LJG]

Teri, they don't handle any cold at all. And you are right they they do have a small margin of error for over-wintering in the ground. But certainly better them the regular ones.

Here are the two that are starting their fourth spring. I planted maybe 15 that year and 3 remain. I just treat them like a annual and if some make it over winter - great. The second pic shows how they like to come back. They push new growth from base and eventually abort last years left over leggy growth.

[David in Berkeley]

They're about as cold hardy as New Guinea Impatiens here in the Bay Area, which is not all that much. I've had they overwinter in more protected spots, but not exposed in the garden. They are a total bust in more shaded conditions.

[rprimbs]

In case you guys wondered, I have had a lot of success propagating them with cuttings. I first used sand but now I am just using potting soil. These are a cinch to propagate from cuttings. I will add a few pictures tonight.

[DoomsDave]

  On 5/13/2014 at 5:21 PM, rprimbs said:

In case you guys wondered, I have had a lot of success propagating them with cuttings. I first used sand but now I am just using potting soil. These are a cinch to propagate from cuttings. I will add a few pictures tonight.

Pant pant pant

[WestCoastGal]

We had them planted last year (9b) and they didn't look bad after the first frost night we got, but fell apart after subsequent nights, just like my canna did. It was our first year trying them. I was sorry I didn't think earlier to throw some frost cloth on them (and the canna) to see how they did with it, but it was too late by the time I did. The birds of paradise I covered well came thru unscathed and in bloom, those birds with covers that came off in the wind had severe foilage damage, got cut back to the ground and are regrowing now. The canna are more like the birds with protected underground rhizomes where the SunPatiens lack that root protection. But I think it might be worth a try with frost covers next winter. Hard to see everything in bloom in the winter here and then the more cold sensitive flowering plants get killed. I am curious to hear about anyone's experience if you covered your SunPatiens.

As for SunPatiens in a hot inland valley setting in direct or partial sun, we had summer temps in the 90s-100s, and when they looked a bit wilted we gave them some extra water and they perked up beautifully. We purchased the compact variety and they got to be a nice size and were packed with lots of blooms. We have more on order for this year and should be getting our replacements planted in the next week or two.

I'd recommend them for sunny hot locations hands down when you need some tropical color in your palm bed.

[rprimbs]

Here are a few pictures. I rooted these up in full shade, but now they are out in almost full all day sun -- and it has been hot lately -- and they are holding up like champs. Of course I have been watering them every day because they are in pots. And they didn't look so good when they were rooting up (wilted leaves) but now that they have good roots they look great. Also the plants on the left are the ones I took the cuttings from.

Edited May 14, 2014 by rprimbs

[WestCoastGal]

Regarding the question "do SunPatiens do well with frost protection?" Well this year we covered our SunPatiens (compact) in January before the frost. We didn't get super cold in the Winter like the previous year (many nights in the mid 20s); we had lows in the high 20s this Winter. It wasn't a bad winter in California and as you all know, not much rain either. The row of SunPatiens by our larger palm bed that didn't get covered well enough got hit by the cold and died. But here are three plants that got covered well. Looking fabulous in June! At first I thought they might look too lanky or sparse to be worth keeping and would want to replace them instead, but I'm pleased these will be three plants that don't need replacing. Another big plus is once the frost cloth came off we got to enjoy the blooms throughout the late Winter-Spring into Summer. Alright, 4 season plants!

L to R - January, February, March

June, plant on R has lots of buds almost ready to open

[LJG]

Year five here. Thanks to a mellow winter they flowered all year.

One point in growing these I noticed that helps make a difference between long-lasting ones and an annual is that they need an airy grow medium. The ones in my garden with tons of mulch do best. Their fine roots spread throughout the mulch and stay out of the soil. More roots, better chance at handling heat and cold.

[Monòver]

One of the best flowers. Bloom every months, in full sun or shadow.

I love it.

Last november, i put a few litle cutting in my greenhouse.

On April i planted it and now it is full of flowers.

[Monòver]

This is the picture

[DoomsDave]

  On 6/15/2015 at 5:21 PM, Monòver said:

This is the picture

si si!

It certainly is!

[_Keith]

I can vouch for their ability to tolerate water logged soils.

[The Silent Seed]

This is a new one for me - the "regular" Impatiens (as well as the New Guinea, and a few fancier hybrids) are rampant here as annuals - I never get tired of them. I am not sure, but I think all, or at least most, Impatiens are crazy easy from cuttings.

The only ones I grow are the tuberous / caudiciform ones - and at present grow flanaganae, tinctoria, and rothii. I also often have some niamniamensis varieties kicking around.

Ryan, do you remember the species you had; that resembled an Adenium? Sounds like a real keeper.