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Impatiens balsamina

Balsam · Spotted Snapweed · Garden Balsam

Family BalsaminaceaeGenus Impatiens

A row of bedding plants with pink and white flowers tucked close against red-stemmed leafy shoots
The whole plantKurt Stüber [1]CC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
AnnualExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
annualPlants of the World Online
Height
0.5-2.5 ft15-75 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
6-1.5 ft1.8-0.5 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Pink, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Fall, Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
India, Sri LankaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
2-11Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    3/16 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 12 days.

44% germination in 2–12 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39Public domain
Show the original text
Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). I. balsamina germ. 70D(7/16 in 2-12 d)-40-70D(3/16 in 5-10 d) in agreement with observations of Jan Goodwin. This is not in agreement with literature reports that light is required (HC). HC reported that germination was best at 55-80 and near zero at 50 and 85, however, his data were not consistent.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Impatiens p. 39. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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