Patient Lucy Impatiens walleriana

These succulent perennieal herbs grow between 6"-2' tall, mounding with lower leaves touching the ground. Impateins walleriana is an extremely popular annual bedding plant with a wide variety of colors and does best in part shade to full shade. This plant tolerates full sun, but is a water guzzler and tends to look wilted when heat loads are high and water is less plentiful. Over watering, however, can cause rot. Flowers may be bicolored or double. This plant has low drought tolerance and is hardy in zones 10-11. This plant performs best when soil is moist, well-drained, and supplemented with organic material. It is often utilized in planters, hanging baskets, containers, around trees in shaded areas, and in bedding. Seeds are sown in March under glass and germinates at 70-75 degrees. It is planted out in May. Patient Lucy has numerous cultivars and is frequently damaged by deer.

Insects, Diseases and Other Problems: Downey Mildew, caused by the ‘fungus-like’ organism Plasmopara obducens. Fungicides used to control fungal diseases will not work on Downey Mildew.  Pest Alert,  More information 

Plants with similar characteristics and less problems: Impatiens hawkeri is an alternative that is resistant to downy mildew

Quick ID Hints:

• Flowers have white, conspicuous, elongated spur.
• Has a lateral sepal pair that is elongate and narrow.
• Leaves have stalked glands on teeth rising above the leaf plane.
• This succulent mounding plant has leaves that touch the ground.