Impatiens hawkeri
new guinea impatiens
Overview
Impatiens hawkeri, New Guinea impatiens, is a tender perennial grown chiefly as a warm-season bedding and container plant. It forms a mounded clump 10–24 inches (25–60 cm) tall and 12–24 inches (30–60 cm) wide, with thick, lance-shaped leaves 3–6 inches (7.5–15 cm) long that range from deep green to bronze, and some cultivars carry yellow or cream variegation along the midrib. The flat, five-petaled flowers measure 1.5–3 inches (4–7.5 cm) across in shades of red, pink, orange, purple, and white, each with a slender nectar spur behind. Plants bloom continuously from late spring until the first frost. Compared with common impatiens, Impatiens walleriana, this species has larger flowers and thicker stems and tolerates more direct sun, as long as the soil stays moist. The succulent stems hold a large volume of water and wilt quickly when the soil dries, then recover once watered. Frost kills the plant outright, so in all but frost-free climates it is replaced each year. It needs steady moisture and shelter from hot afternoon wind, which can scorch the foliage.
Native Range
Impatiens hawkeri is native to New Guinea and the nearby Solomon Islands, where it grows in moist mountain forest clearings and along streambanks. The garden plants sold today descend largely from collections made in New Guinea in the 1970s and the breeding lines developed from them.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded and partly sunny beds, borders, hanging baskets, and patio containers for season-long color. It suits mass plantings in dappled light and mixed container combinations, though its high water demand makes it less suited to dry sites.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10" - 2'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Blooms from late spring through fall, stopping only at frost, and flowers year-round where temperatures stay above freezing. Flowering is continuous rather than seasonal, with new buds opening as older flowers drop. Bloom slows in deep shade or when the soil dries.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Red, pink, orange, purple, or whiteFoliage Description
Deep green to bronze, sometimes variegatedGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in part sun to part shade and needs consistently moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter at a pH of about 5.8–6.5. Water needs are high, and the succulent stems wilt fast in dry soil but recover after watering. It grows in zones 10–11 as a perennial and is treated as a warm-season annual elsewhere, set out after the last frost. Daytime temperatures of 65–80°F (18–27°C) suit it, while frost or prolonged heat above 90°F (32°C) stalls flowering. Container plants depend on a steady feeding schedule through the growing season.Pruning
Pinching the stem tips early encourages branching and a fuller mound. Plants are largely self-cleaning, dropping spent flowers without deadheading. Cutting back leggy stems by a third in midseason renews compact growth.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons