# Impatiens

Impatiens are colorful flowers that love shade! They bloom all summer and are perfect for brightening up darker spaces.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Shady gardens and indoor spaces
- **Also known as:** Balsam

![Impatiens](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426202/objects/4917.jpg)

## Appearance

The Impatiens has vibrant, flat-petaled flowers often with a distinctive spur at the back, appearing in shades of pink, red, orange, white, and purple. Its delicate, broad leaves are usually bright green, creating a lush, bushy appearance.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ericales
- **Family:** Balsaminaceae
- **Genus:** Impatiens

## Interesting facts

- Many species of Impatiens are called 'Busy Lizzies' because they bloom so much.
- Some Impatiens flowers have a long, slender tube called a spur that holds nectar for pollinators.
- The name 'Impatiens' means 'impatient,' referring to how its seed pods burst open!
- The tiny droplets of water you sometimes see on their leaves in the morning are not dew, but the plant 'sweating'!

## Special abilities

- **Exploding Seeds:** Impatiens can forcefully eject its seeds when mature pods are touched, helping it spread quickly.
- **Shade Thriver:** Impatiens has adapted to flourish in shady spots where many other colorful plants struggle to grow.
- **Constant Bloomer:** Impatiens can produce new flowers continuously from spring until frost, providing season-long color.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-60 cm
- **Spread:** 20-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to first frost
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Eaten by:** Two-spotted spider mite (*Tetranychus urticae*) — feeds on plant sap
- **Parasitizes:** Impatiens downy mildew (*Plasmopara obducens*) — causes leaf yellowing and death

## Traits

- [Annual](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/annual): Annual plants complete their entire life cycle, from germination to seed production, within a single growing season.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Impatiens?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Impatiens?

20-60 cm

### How wide does Impatiens spread?

20-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Impatiens?

2-5 cm

### When does Impatiens bloom?

Spring to first frost

### Is Impatiens edible?

No

### Is Impatiens toxic?

Mild

### What is Impatiens's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Denton Hill State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/denton-hill-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Impatiens: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/impatiens)