Beacon Red Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana 'Beacon Red')
im-PAY-shenz wall-err-ee-AY-nah 'Beacon Red'

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) in the Balsaminaceae Family
 

About Common Impatiens

Often simply called Common Impatiens, or, our favorite, "Busy Lizzy," (how cute is that!) Impatiens walleriana is one of the most grown annuals in the world.  This "mounding" (read: well-behaved, full and lush) annual thrives in hanging baskets, pots, or in the ground along walkways and borders.  Its true allure lies in its light requirements: this plant is one of very few shade-tolerators who offers up dense, spectacular, vibrant, long-lasting carpets of blooms from spring to early fall.

Because of that, it's a popular annual bedding plant with a wide variety of colors and does best in part shade to full shade. This plant tolerates full sun, but is a water guzzler and tends to look wilted when heat loads are high and water is less plentiful. Over watering, however, can cause rot. Flowers may be bicolored or double. This plant has low drought tolerance and is hardy in zones 10-11. This plant performs best when soil is moist, well-drained, and supplemented with organic material. 

Impatiens walleriana is a species of the genus Impatiens, native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique.  The Latin specific epithet walleriana honors a British missionary, Horace Waller.

Pros

  • Thrive in shade
  • Season-long blooms
  • Well-behaved, mounding growth
  • Wide range of colors available

 

Cons

This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 24 inches tall. 6 - 24 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 10a - 11b (Usually hardy to 30° F)
Tags Annual, Annual in Chicago, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Extended Bloom Time, Filler, Good for Beginners, Low Maintenance, Medium, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Shade, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Showy Flowers
Bloom Period June to frost
Flower Color
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!