Plant · GBIF taxon 2891772
Busy Lizzie
Impatiens wallerianaAlso known as Impatiens, Sultana, Balsam, Touch-Me-Not
Busy Lizzies illuminate shady garden beds with vibrant five-petaled blooms ranging from white and coral to deep magenta. Their fleshy, succulent stems carry ripe seed capsules that burst open violently at the slightest touch, flinging seeds up to several meters away. Though perennial in their native East African cloud forests, cold winters restrict them to seasonal annuals across most temperate regions.
FloweringShade-TolerantGarden Favorite
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Aphids
ThreatsImpatiens downy mildew, habitat degradation in native range
HabitatsHumid moist forests, stream banks, shade gardens
Life spanPerennial in tropics; grown as an annual in temperate zones
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderEricales
- FamilyBalsaminaceae
- GenusImpatiens
- SpeciesImpatiens walleriana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe and garden with.
Responsible observation
- Touch pods gently: Mature seed capsules burst explosively when touched, scattering seeds several feet.
- Provide shade: Plants thrive in partial to deep shade and wilt quickly in full, hot sun.
Close Relative (c) AnnLazaro, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by AnnLazaro · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
Close Relative (c) John Barkla, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by John Barkla · cc-by
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