Impatiens walleriana

Sultana, Zanzibar Balsam, Busy Lizzie, touch-me-not

Message of the Flower

Works of Love

The Mother’s Comment

The best condition for work.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

The one true reward of the works of love is to grow ever in capacity and delight of love up to the ecstasy of the spirit's all-seizing embrace and universal passion.

Sri Aurobindo, Essays in Philosophy and Yoga: Rebirth

Colour

Many different colours, except blue and yellow

Family

Balsaminaceae

Cultivars

Numerous including 'Accent', 'Super Elfin', and 'Swirl'

Person who named the flower

Hook.f. (Joseph Dalton Hooker)

Flower Size

1-2 inches across

Flower Texture

Soft, moist

Number of Petals

Five, often with a fused lower petal

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral

Fragrance of Flower

Generally none

Leaf Texture

Smooth, sometimes slightly sticky

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate

Leaf Color

Green, often shiny, some variegated forms

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Herbaceous perennial, grown as annual

Life Cycle

Perennial in tropics, annual in temperate

Blooming Period

Continuously from spring to first frost

Climate

Warm, humid tropical and subtropical

Water Requirements

High, moist but not waterlogged soil

Soil Type

Rich, well-draining, moist

Temperature Ranges

Prefers 60-75F (16-24C); not frost tolerant

Sun or Shade

Shade tolerant, prefers indirect light or partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Fungal diseases like downy mildew, aphids, spider mites

Pollinators

Generally self-pollinating, attracts few pollinators

Habitat

Originally from East Africa, now widely cultivated

Role in the Ecosystem

Primarily ornamental, limited ecological benefits

Quotations

None notable

Ornamental

Widely used for colorful blooms and shade tolerance

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Landscaping, container gardening

Endangered Status

Not endangered

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