Plants
Busy Lizzie
Impatiens walleriana · Balsaminaceae
The busy Lizzie lives up to its name: from May until the first frost it flowers non-stop, and it does so exactly where most flowering plants go on strike — in the shade. North-facing balcony, shady windowsill or the dark spot under a tree: hardly any plant brings colour to low-light places so reliably. For pet households it is a safe choice, too.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Impatiens walleriana
The range of cultivars runs from simple classics through double forms whose blooms resemble little roses, to the large-flowered New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri), which tolerate more light and resist the downy mildew that has troubled the classic species at times.
The busy Lizzie's trump card is shade: it flowers lavishly where geraniums and petunias languish. Full midday sun, on the other hand, wilts the soft shoots and scorches the blooms — semi-shade to shade is the golden rule.
The soft, water-filled stems reveal its second demand: busy Lizzies are thirsty. On warm days a window box needs water daily, and drooping leaves signal the deficit immediately. After watering it usually recovers remarkably fast — permanent waterlogging, however, rots the fleshy shoots.
Deadheading is hardly necessary; the plant largely cleans itself and pushes new blooms non-stop. If the shoots grow long and bare in late summer, it takes a firm cutback by half and regrows fresh and compact within two weeks.
Few people know that busy Lizzie need not be a one-season plant: as a tropical perennial it can be overwintered bright and warm indoors, or propagated from tip cuttings that root in a glass of water in about a week. That way you simply raise next year's summer display yourself.
For families and pet households the plant is easy-going: Impatiens walleriana is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. In shady boxes we like to combine it with fuchsias and begonias, which share its preferences.
Is Busy Lizzie toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
The busy Lizzie is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children, making it a safe choice for window boxes and sills in family and pet households.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Place in semi-shade to shade — avoid harsh midday sun.
- 02Water generously and regularly, daily on warm days; the plant forgives brief wilting.
- 03Avoid waterlogging, or the fleshy shoots will rot.
- 04Feed lightly every week from May to September to keep the non-stop display going.
- 05Cut leggy shoots back boldly by half in summer.
- 06Bring indoors before the first frost or take cuttings for next year.
Frequently asked
- Is busy Lizzie toxic to cats or dogs?
- No, Impatiens walleriana is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and people. Even if a pet nibbles on it, at most a mild upset stomach from the unfamiliar greens is to be expected.
- Why is my busy Lizzie drooping?
- Almost always lack of water or too much sun. The soft, water-filled shoots react instantly to thirst but recover just as quickly after watering. If the plant droops despite moist soil, it is standing too sunny or the roots are rotting from waterlogging.
- Does busy Lizzie really flower in the shade?
- Yes, that is its speciality. As a forest-floor plant from East Africa it flowers reliably from May until frost even on north-facing balconies and under shrubs. Only deep, dark shade without any sky light is too little even for it.
- Can I overwinter busy Lizzie?
- Yes. As a tropical perennial it survives winter indoors, bright and warm with moderate watering. Even easier is propagation from tip cuttings in late summer: they root in a glass of water within a week and provide sturdy young plants for spring.