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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Balsaminaceae (Touch-me-nots) |
| Origin: Africa, East (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Year-round |
| Synonyms: [I. oliveri] |
| Height: 4-8 feet |
| Width: 8-10 feet |
| Exposure: Light Shade/Part Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 30-32° F |
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Impatiens sodenii (Poor Man's Rhododendron) - A frost tender shrub (often treated as a perennial) that can grow as large as 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide but is usually about half this size. It has a woody base and semi-succulent stems bearing 8 inch long dark green leaves in whorls. At the tips of the stems are the showy 2 1/2 wide pink flowers with slender spurs. The flowers bloom throughout the year at first emerging pale pink and fading to nearly white. This large Impatiens does best in a well-drained soil in light shade or morning sun, but at the coast it will grow in full sun. Grows rapidly when watered regularly in warmer gardens to occasionally along the coast, where with a little protection it is tolerant of seaside conditions. Although it is hardy to only about 30 degrees F, limiting it to the nearly frost free areas (USDA 10-11), plants damaged by a frost will often resprout at the base and seed can perpetuate the plant as an annual in even colder climates. Prune annually after frost danger is past to shape and remove cold-damaged stems then only tip prune the rest of the year; avoid cutting back hard as this discourages flowering. Native to the tropical East African highlands between 3,000 and 8,000 ft. elevation in Kenya and Tanzania.
The information on this page is based on the research that we have conducted about this plant in the San Marcos Growers library, from what we have found on reliable online sources, as well as from observations made of our crops of this plant growing in the nursery and of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens where we may have observed it. We also have incorporated comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from those who may have additional information, particularly if this information includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Impatiens sodenii. |
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