Garden balsam is a frost-tender annual in Balsaminaceae (impatens) family. The sparsely branched succulent stems can grow up to 30" tall but frequently exceeds this height in the wild. The vibrant cup-shaped flowers come in various shades of white, pink, red, and a bicolor version. It prefers a moist setting and has a low tolerance for drought conditions. Each flower has both male and female organs that are pollinated by insects. Seeds may inadvertently be spread as the capsules burst open, spreading the seed a distance from the plant. Seed collection is difficult as the capsules are sensitive to the touch, the capsules may burst open during collection. An ideal plant for containers and areas along walks or paths. Insect, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Its self-seeding tendencies can lead to weedy spreading.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Light green 3.5" elliptical to lanceolate serrate leaves
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
2" single to double flowers are hermaphroditic. They open as the male stage, the anthers fall off in a few days and the same flower becomes female and receptive to pollination.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The only Impatiens species that have pubescent developing seed pods. Immature capsules are green and mature to yellow. When touched they explode and spread their seeds.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Has a thick, soft green to red stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Western & South India, Sri Lanka
Wildlife value
Attractive to bees and other insects as well as nectar-feeding birds.
Southern Bacterial Wilt on Herbaceous Ornamental Plants; Southern Blight of Herbaceous Ornamentals
Problems
Weedy
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves
Poison symptoms
Large quantities when eaten raw, accumulate calcium oxalate. It produces a orange stain when you break off the stems/flowers. The plant uses this compound as a defense against grazing, which is why deer only ingest young seedlings or newest shoot tips.