Do you remember Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)? It used to be my number one plant for filling containers all over the shady Back Garden, providing bountiful and vibrant color from May to September. Starting around 2011, though, the scourge of Impatiens Downy Mildew (IDM), caused gardeners everywhere to turn their backs on the stricken plants.
While visiting the Gardens at Ball on the grounds of Ball Horticultural in suburban Chicago, Judy and I were very excited to learn about Beacon Impatiens. Beacon varieties are highly resistant to IDM, as demonstrated by their generous use in the beds, baskets, and containers all around us. (I’ll write another post about what else we saw, but for us this was the highlight).
As I learned to my horror years ago, IDM will devastate plantings of Impatiens in a very short time. Plants just wither away to nothing. However, through a selective breeding program carried out in Illinois and the Netherlands, breeders have developed varieties that thrive as older cultivars shrivel. Tests in gardens around the world confirmed the results.
Beacon Impatiens should be generally available this coming spring. There are varieties in half a dozen colors, including white, which is my favorite.
Impatiens used to be so commonly planted that some people got snooty about them. However, I won’t be embarrassed about my affection for this plant. It provides a lot of color easily and (I’ll go ahead and say it) cheaply. Plus, it’s popular with hummingbirds, especially the red ones.
I, for one, look forward to reintroducing this plant into my shady garden. How about you?
Oh, and one more thing! I keep forgetting to mention this. I am now on Instagram as jasonkay3490. Most days I post pictures of flowers, gardens, pollinators, and related stuff. One of these days I’ll figure out how to put a follow button on this blog.
gardeninacity 
I’ve always liked impatiens, but never could get them to grow. They’d just wilt away after a few weeks. This may be the explanation, and I’d be more than happy to give them a try on my shady balcony. I’ll keep an eye out for them.
Their wilting may very well have been caused by IDM.
I have planted white ones this year in the containers in the back garden, they are doing very nicely thank you and I will probably buy more next year.
Glad to hear you haven’t been hit with the blight.
Thanks for sharing ! !
You’re welcome!
That is wonderful news! Thanks for sharing.
Always glad to be the bearer of good news.
I have always loved impatiens. My favorites are the red ones. I just hit the “follow” button on your Instagram account.
Thank you! I like the red ones also, but I like the white best for shade.
I have several in my garden this year. I love the way you can inject color into any shady area with these plants. This year my favorites are white, pink and orange. I have a hot red one too that is growing in the ground like mad.
Easy color in the shade – what’s not to love?
About Instagram I know nothing, but about white impatiens I know a lot — they’re the best!
Agreed!
Just when I really got into impatiens, the dreaded virus hit. UGH. I’m so happy to read your post! I’m already looking forward to next years shade garden. No more trying to figure out what will put on a show like the impatiens did! Thank you for the news!
There are other things that provide color in the shade, but none so easily!
To heck with the snobs! They suck the joy out of everything. Wonderful news about the impatiens.
Plant snobs are the worst.
Food snobs aren’t too far behind. 😉
I like Impatiens, but they don’t like our dry summers. I am a big fan of growing common things. I just put in a bunch of Shasta daisies, which suffer from the same snootiness. My English MIL used to think calling me “common” was an insult, little did she know I cherished it every time she said it.
Oh dear, a snobbish MIL sounds like a real trial.
I haven’t planted impatiens for years but now I am interested in them again. I hope you get a kickback from the impatiens breeders!
I’d like that! Maybe you could drop them a note?
I’ve grown impatiens since I was a boy and haven’t ever seen any signs of disease. I guess I’ve been lucky.
Surprised to hear that, but I think you are lucky. The blight likes cool, moist weather, which I imagine would occur in NH.
I’m with you – I think they’re great! I didn’t know about the IDM scourge, although I had wondered why I didn’t see them as much as I used to. Glad to hear there are tougher alternatives – I don’t buy a lot of annuals, but when I do, Impatiens is almost always part of the haul.
Such a useful plant!
I am definitely looking forward to the new impatiens; thanks for telling us about them. I have had very limited success growing impatiens; perhaps the new ones will do better. I need more color in my shady garden!
I believe these impatiens will be available in the South this autumn.
You know, we got some impatiens at work. I was very surprised to see them. I did not pick them up, but the guy who got them did not now why I thought they were such a big deal, and mentioned that there were plenty in the nursery! I still don’t know what variety they are. They look just like old fashioned impatiens to me.
I guess the blight has not ruined them everywhere.
Oh, it ruined them for a while. It got here later than in other regions. I do not know if it is here specifically, but is where those who grow nursery stock are at. Those that we have at work could be the new varieties. They look like the old, but they are probably something new.
I planted some Impatiens this year that aren’t the new ones. They seem to be performing OK, but I haven’t planted as many during the past few years, for just this reason. It will be nice to have more options. I also really like New Guinea Impatiens. And both work well in containers with colorful varieties of Coleus.