Impatiens puberula

Another relatively hardy Impatiens from Nepal, this one with 1” purple flowers resembling orchids in summer and fall is a tuberous rooted perennial. With a somewhat sprawling, low spreading growth habit, 12” tall and 3’ wide...enjoys bright shade, humus rich, well-drained soil that is consistently moist. Also glorious in a pot. May go dormant by fall; winter mulch is advised to keep roots snug.

A scarce jewel! All of the Impatiens that we grow are rare, but this one may take the cake & so far we are the only ones to offer it! 1.5” heavenly blue-purple orchid-like flowers adorn this soft leaved perennial creeper in the summer months. It’s a native of Nepal & requires regular moisture to thrive. It goes into complete dormancy late in Summer (maybe Fall?) when it dies back to tuberous roots. At first, when I saw this happen I worried over the empty-looking pot, but the next Spring it was up & growing again! Phew! Growing this rare jewel in a container will allow you to monitor the plant more closely, but any cool, shady place with well drained but moist soil should suit it fine, so long as there isn’t too much root competition. We’ve been told that this plant is hardy to USDA Zone 7, but until we get an eye-witness we won’t be making that claim. Please let us know! Grows under 2’ tall, with a 3’ spread & seems to dislike heat. Introduced by Dan Hinkley. Note: Generally, species Impatiens prefer cool Summer climates with little frost, and suffer in areas with too much heat and humidity!