Impatiens omeiana (Hardy Impatiens)

Primarily grown for its beautiful foliage, Impatiens omeiana (Hardy Impatiens) is an evergreen perennial with velvety, lance-shaped, toothed, delicately variegated leaves, 3 in. long (8 cm). The dark green leaves are adorned with a luminous band of creamy white down the midrib and secondary veins. The petioles and unbranched stems are red, creating a nice contrast. In summer, clusters of up to 8 creamy-yellow flowers, each with an incurved spur, are held above the foliage. Impatiens omeiana is stoloniferous and spreads gently by rhizomes to form a lovely colony in the moist woodland garden. Native to Sichuan Province in China, this hardy impatiens is not fussy about its requirements and is worthy of inclusion in the garden.

• Grows up to 8-16 in. tall (20-40 cm) and 24-36 in. wide (60-90 cm).
• Performs best in part shade in moist but well-drained soils.
• Great for shady and moist areas in beds and borders, cottage gardens, city gardens or containers.
• Generally pest-free outdoors. Keep an eye out for glasshouse red spider mite, glasshouse whitefly, vine weevil and aphids if grown indoors.
• No pruning needed.
• Propagate by seed indoors in early spring, by seed in situ outdoors in late spring, softwood cuttings or division in spring or early summer.
• Native to China.