An impressively numerous genus, the Impatiens genus comprises of more than 900 species of flowers often referred to as balsams or touch-me-nots, even though other names are also used depending on the region. The Impatiens genus originates from the Northern Hemisphere, but the tropical regions are also known to be appropriate for the occurrence of such plants. Belonging to the Balsaminaceae family, the Impatiens represents a flowering plant renowned for its beauty and specie variety.
Being a spring flower, the Impatiens or the Touch-me-not, as Europeans call it, blooms from the first month of spring until late autumn. The Impatiens genus has both annual and perennial species and the main difference between these two types is that the annual plants only show their flowering in the spring and up until November, while the perennial can bloom all year long depending on the warmer weather conditions which favor the blooming process. Reaching about 2 meters in height when reaching maturity, the Impatiens genus is known to be small-sized oriented, those species reaching the height of 7 feet being considered exceptional cases.
Given the impressive variety of species, the flowers produced by the Impatiens genus are hard to classify or to describe. One characteristic these species share in common is the shape of the spur which takes the form of a shoe. Some are flowers in the shape of a star, some have flattened petals and some imitate the petals of roses. All flowers belonging to the Impatiens genus have intense colors, from pinkish shades to white, orange, lilac and purple.
Always preferring a rich and moist soil, the Impatiens grows up in places rich in vegetation, like forests or river banks. Although extremely beautiful, the species belonging to the Impatiens genus are quite susceptible to diseases, bacterial, fungal, parasitic and even viral. Amongst the most common diseases we can mention: the Pseudomonas leaf spot, the Southern blight, Rhizoctonia root and stem rot, Impatiens necrotic spot and Tobacco streak, all very dangerous and which can actually lead to the plant’s ruin.
The medicinal purpose of the Impatiens is well known for many years as people used the substances extracted from this plant to treat bee stings, or even to use it as anti-depressive or as ingredient to treat impatiens. If used in over-doses or without medical advice, the Impatiens can cause vomiting sensation or diarrhea.
Another purpose of the Impatiens is the cosmetic industry, as some species are used as main ingredients to compose hair-dye, henna coloring for tattoos, or even nail-polish. The Chinese mix roses, orchid and Impatiens in creating nail-polish, while cosmetic product companies use the Impatiens to create shampoos, body lotions or perfumed facial creams.
Given all these properties contained by the Impatiens, plus its beautiful appearance, it is definitely a flower to desire in your garden and in your home.
Impatiens Flower Pictures Gallery
