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Impatiens walleriana

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Hatnote|For the 1970s doll, see Bizzie Lizzie}}

{{Italic title}}

{{Speciesbox

|name = Busy Lizzy

|image = Impatienswalleriana.jpg

|taxon = Impatiens walleriana

|authority = Hook.f.

|synonyms ={{Specieslist

|Impatiens giorgii|De Wild.

|Impatiens holstii|Engl. & Warb.

|Impatiens lujai|De Wild.

|Impatiens sultani|Hook.f.

}}

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2863395|title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date = 20 January 2014}}

}}

Image:Impatiens walleriana.JPG

Impatiens walleriana (syn. Impatiens sultanii), also known as busy Lizzie (British Isles), balsam, sultana, or simply impatiens, is a species of the genus Impatiens, native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. The Latin specific epithet walleriana honours a British missionary, Horace Waller (1833–1896).{{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Lorraine |title=RHS Latin for Gardeners |year=2012 |publisher=Mitchell Beazley |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1845337315 }}

Description

It is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant growing to {{convert|15|-|60|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall, with broad lanceolate leaves 3–12 cm long and 2–5 cm broad. Leaves are mostly alternate, although they may be opposite near the top of the plant. The changeable, simple leaves are stalked 1.5 to 6 cm long. The leaf blade is ovate to broadly elliptic, sometimes obovate, 2.5 to 13 inches long and 2 to 5.5 inches wide, green and sometimes spotted or pink or reddish on the underside. Leaflets are missing.Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (ed.): Rothmaler excursion flora of Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, {{ISBN|978-3-8274-0918-8}}

The hermaphroditic, zygomorphic flowers are profusely borne, 2–5 cm diameter, with five petals and a 1 cm spur. The seedpod explodes when ripe in the same manner as other Impatiens species, an evolutionary adaptation for seed dispersal. The lower sepals are slightly boat-shaped and narrow suddenly in the 2.8 to 4.5 inches long, thread-like curved, but not curved back spur. The stems are semi-succulent, and all parts of the plant (leaves, stems, flowers, roots) are soft and easily damaged.

Cultivation

File:Starr 070906-8884 Impatiens walleriana.jpg

Although perennial in frost-free growing conditions, it is usually treated as a half-hardy annual in temperate regions (though pot-grown plants can be successfully overwintered indoors). It is one of the most popular of all bedding plants for parks and gardens worldwide, typically grown in containers but also in bedding schemes. Propagation is by seed or stem cuttings (which often root readily in water).{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}

=Cultivars=

Numerous cultivars in a range of colours from white to purple, are widely available commercially, either as seeds or young plants. They include the following:

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  • Accent series{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Impatiens Accent series|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3137|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121224043647/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3137|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 24, 2012|access-date=23 June 2013}}
  • 'Blackberry Ice'
  • 'Confection'
  • 'Eclipse'
  • 'Elfin White'
  • 'Extra Dwarf'
  • 'Fiesta Ole' (double variety)
  • 'Lipstick'
  • 'Red Star'
  • Super Elfin series{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Impatiens walleriana Super Elfin Series|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1026|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121224032816/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1026|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 24, 2012|access-date=23 June 2013}}
  • Tempo Series{{cite web|title=RHS Plant Selector - Impatiens walleriana Tempo Series|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4733|access-date=23 June 2013|archive-date=7 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807062558/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=4733|url-status=dead}}
  • 'Wink and Blink'

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Super Elfin series was bred by Claude Hope in Costa Rica. Hope developed this species from its native wild form into one of the most popular bedding plants in the world.{{cite book | author=Pink, A. | url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11892|title=Gardening for the Million| year=2004 | publisher=Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation}}

=AGM cultivars=

The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017

| page = 52 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 10 March 2018}}

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;Divine Series

  • {{tdes|Divine Violet}}{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339096/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Divine-Violet-FONT-(Divine-Series)-(NG)/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens 'Divine Violet' (Divine Series)

| access-date = 12 March 2018}}

;Magnum Series

  • {{tdes|Magnum Wild Salmon}}{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339069/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Magnum-Wild-Salmon-FONT-(Magnum-Series)-(NG)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens Magnum Wild Salmon (Magnum Series) | access-date = 12 March 2018}}

;SunHarmony Series

  • {{tdes|Sun Harmony Deep Orange}} = 'Dhar328' {{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339098/Impatiens-Sun-Harmony-Deep-Orange-Dhar328-(PBR)-(Sun-Harmony-Series)-(NG)/Details | title = {{tdes|Sun Harmony Deep Orange}} = 'Dhar328' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 21 September 2020}}

;SunPatiens Series

  • {{tdes|Compact Blush Pink}} = 'Sakimp013'{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339133/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Sunpatiens-Compact-Blush-Pink-FONT-Sakimp013-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Sunpatiens-Series)-(NG)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens SunPatiens Compact Blush Pink = Sakimp013 (SunPatiens Series)

| access-date = 12 March 2018}}

  • {{tdes|Compact Electric Orange}} = 'Sakimp025'{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339135/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Sunpatiens-Compact-Electric-Orange-FONT-Sakimp025-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Sunpatiens-Series)-(NG)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens SunPatiens Compact Electric Orange = 'Sakimp025' (SunPatiens Series)

| access-date = 12 March 2018}}

  • {{tdes|Compact Orange}} = 'Sakimp011’{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/339144/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Sunpatiens-Compact-Orange-FONT-Sakimp011-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Sunpatiens-Series)-(NG)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens SunPatiens Compact Orange = 'Sakimp011' | access-date = 7 March 2018}}

  • {{tdes|Spreading Variegated Salmon}} = 'Sakimp005’{{cite web

| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/282071/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Sunpatiens-Spreading-Variegated-Salmon-FONT-Sakimp005-(Sunpatiens-Series)-(Ng-v)/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens SunPatiens Spreading Variegated Salmon = 'Sakimp005' (SunPatiens Series) | access-date = 7 March 2018}}

  • {{tdes|Spreading Variegated White}} = 'Sakimp018’{{cite web

| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/309643/i-Impatiens-i-Font-Face-times-New-Roman-Sunpatiens-Spreading-Variegated-White-FONT-Sakimp018-sup-(PBR)-sup-(Sunpatiens-Series)-(Ng-v)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Impatiens Spreading Variegated White = 'Sakimp018' (SunPatiens Series)

| access-date = 12 March 2018}}

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References

{{Commons category|Impatiens walleriana}}

{{Wikispecies}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q654064}}

Category:Afromontane flora

walleriana

Category:Flora of Kenya

Category:Flora of Malawi

Category:Flora of Mozambique

Category:Flora of Tanzania

Category:Flora of Zimbabwe

Category:Garden plants of Africa