How to Grow Impatiens
Annual
Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) are among the most popular shade annuals in American gardens, prized for their nonstop color where few other flowers will bloom. Their neat mounds of flat, five-petaled flowers come in white, pink, coral, red, orange, lavender, and bicolors. New Guinea impatiens, a related type, offer larger blooms and bolder foliage and tolerate more sun.
Planting
Set out young transplants only after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed, since impatiens are cold-sensitive and will stall or collapse in chilly conditions. Choose a spot with partial to full shade for common impatiens, or a partly sunny site with afternoon shade for New Guinea types. Plant in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, spacing plants about 8 to 12 inches apart so they can knit together into a full carpet. Impatiens are almost always started from transplants rather than direct-sown seed, because the tiny seeds germinate slowly and need warmth and light.
Care
Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged, watering whenever the top inch begins to dry, as impatiens wilt quickly in dry heat and recover once rehydrated. Feed lightly and regularly through the growing season using a balanced product suited to flowering annuals, following the label. Deadheading is not required because impatiens are largely self-cleaning and drop spent blooms on their own, though you can pinch leggy stems to keep plants compact and bushy. Staking is unnecessary; instead, provide good air circulation, and pull and discard plants after the first hard fall frost since they will not survive freezing weather.
Bloom time
Impatiens bloom continuously from late spring, once planted, all the way until the first fall frost. This long, steady flowering is a big reason gardeners rely on them for season-long color.
Garden uses
They excel as bedding plants and edging in shady borders, in mass plantings under trees, and in containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets. The bright flowers also draw hummingbirds and some butterflies to shaded parts of the yard.
Tips
Because common impatiens can be affected by downy mildew, choose disease-resistant varieties, space plants for airflow, and water at the base rather than overhead to keep foliage dry. Do not rush planting in spring; wait until nights are reliably mild, since cold soil sets plants back. If summer heat makes them wilt or thin out, a light trim will encourage fresh, bushy regrowth.
General guidance for US gardens. Timing and hardiness vary by region; check your local frost dates and hardiness zone. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.