14 Jan Impatiens, Busy Lizzy
Impatiens walleriana varieties
Readily sold at most nurseries and local
markets, these colourful plants spread
easily by seed and fragments. Commonly
found along drains and water courses.
Family: Balsaminaceae
Origin: Africa
Habit: Bushy, succulent-stemmed tender perennial that grows in a
spreading mound 15-60cm tall depending on variety. Shade
tolerant, favouring moist conditions.
Leaves: Ovate to elliptic leaves light to dark green, sometimes with a
bronze-red cast and serrated edges. The opposite leaves are
arranged spirally around a thick, green or brownish, brittle stem.
Fragments of stem re-root readily.
Flowers: Large (to 5cm across), fleshy, with 5 petals. Pink, rose, red, lilac,
purple, orange, white & bicolors. Spring-Autumn.
Fruit: Explosive capsules contain hundreds of small, viable seeds,
which are expelled some distance when ripe.
Roots: Fibrous root system tolerant of a wide range of soil types from
sand to clay.
Dispersal: Seed and vegetation is spread by water, humans, contaminated
soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden
refuse dumping.
Control: Hand pull/dig, bagging all plant parts and removing from site.
Foliar spray.