Jason S, Author At GardenToolLife

With its beautiful, bright colors, interesting name, and more than 1,000 varieties to admire, the Impatiens flower has a huge fanbase from all over the world. What makes it even more popular is that it’s easy to grow; the perfect choice for a newbie gardening enthusiast. Speaking of planting requirements, do Impatiens need sun to grow into healthy blooms, or is a bit of shade okay? Impatiens need sun alright, but they don’t require full sun exposure. Instead, Impatiens grow best in places that get two to four hours of filtered sunlight during the day. Another good alternative is a combination of morning sun and afternoon shade. If you’re ready to learn more about the best conditions for keeping your Impatiens in ideal shape, stick around while we answer more questions that may be on your mind! Can You Plant Impatiens in the Shade? Because most Impatiens flowers aren't really made for harsh sunlight, you might think it’s a better idea to keep them in a shaded area of your yard all the time. To answer your question, Impatiens flowers will grow just fine in the shade, but it’s not the optimum environment for them to be. If you plant Impatiens in heavy shade, you should expect them to grow taller than they would in areas with sun exposure. Plus, your Impatiens blooms won’t be as showy and vibrant if they reach their adulthood in the shade. Still, it’s worth mentioning that some Impatiens varieties shine best in the shade. For example, the Beacon Impatiens, Standard Impatiens, and Bounce Impatiens don’t mind being in full to partial shade. Of course, this is good news for people who have a part of their flower garden protected by taller trees. If you’re unsure what flowers to plant there, the aforementioned Impatiens species should do the trick! What Happens If You Plant Impatiens in Full Sun? Most Impatiens flowers don’t tolerate full sun, which translates to more than six hours of direct sunlight exposure. Here, we’re not talking soft morning light but strong afternoon sun. If Impatiens flowers are left for too long in the sun, they’ll soon wither away and die. Their leaves, stems, and petals will burn out under the scorching heat, turning brown and losing their glory. However, you must know that only one Impatiens variety can handle a tiny bit of extra sunlight than the others, and that’s New Guinea Impatiens. Besides being okay with full sun conditions, this version of the flower doesn’t mind partial shade either. Talk about versatility! Still, there’s a limit to what the New Guinea Impatiens can deal with when it comes to sun exposure. If it receives more than soft, morning sun and afternoon shade, it’ll likely end up producing smaller and fewer flowers. In addition to that, the leaves and stems themselves can become weak and damaged in the face of harsh sunlight. Why Are My Impatiens Flowers Becoming Brown Even When They’re Not Exposed to Full Sunlight? A lot of people associate brown leaves and petals with excessive sun exposure, which isn’t technically wrong. It’s just not the only possibility out there. If you’re not exposing your flowers to too much sunlight and you notice signs of wilting, it can be because they’re not getting enough water. See, Impatiens flowers don’t tolerate drought, and they like their soil to be moist at all times. However, you must make sure not to use too much water to the point of flooding the soil since this encourages root rot. Instead, pour enough water until the soil is properly soaked through. Plus, the soil itself should be of a well-draining variety. A good rule to follow here is to provide your Impatiens flowers with two inches of water per week once they’re in the ground. You can increase the amount to four inches if the temperatures where you live average at 80 degrees. Can You Move a Greenhouse or Indoor Impatiens Outdoors? Yes. Although it seems like a tough task, you can introduce indoor Impatiens to your backyard, but only after you acclimate it to the natural conditions of the outside world. Hardening the flowers that you started indoors begins by planting them in a fully shaded part of your garden. Ensure that the soil is the right kind and the water level is suitable for your plants. Gradually, over the course of days, expose your plants to more sunlight. For example, move them from that protected spot of your yard to another area where the sun can reach them through the leaves and branches of trees. After a couple of days, you can place your flowers somewhere else with even more sun exposure, going on and on until they receive the same treatment as your normal Impatiens. What Are the Best Places to Grow Impatiens Flowers? Because they’re rather flexible, Impatiens can be perfect for planting in different locations in your yard as long as these areas aren’t too sunny or too shady. Once you make sure that’s the case, you can grow Impatiens: Right into the ground In containers In hanging baskets You may also want to grow your flowers indoors in pots that line your windowsill. Just make sure the window only allows two to four hours of filtered sunlight. If not, you can always control the amount of sun that reaches your flowers by pulling down the curtains when things get intense! Final Thoughts Do Impatiens need sun? It’s a normal question to ask for someone who’s still getting to know these pretty ladies. And now that you’ve read our article, you know that Impatiens flowers need partial sun, but some can grow in the full shade just fine. Plus, the New Guinea Impatiens tolerates full sun, but only if it’s exposed to morning light and afternoon shade. Any more than that, and the flowers might wither and die, which is definitely what you don’t want for your little babies! Frequently Asked Questions Do impatiens do well in shade? Impatiens are mostly used as indoor plants as they don't require direct sunlight. 2-4 hours of indirect sunlight is best for the plant to blossom. How do you keep impatiens blooming? These are few ways you can keep you impatiens blooming. Place the plant in a place where you get indirect sunlight. Don't plant it in direct sunlight. Keep watering the plant whenever the soil gets dry. What happens if impatiens get too much sun? Too much sun is not god for impatiens. Impatiens die when it gets too much heat and therefore planting it in shaded area thrive it to blossom. Do impatiens come back every year? Impatiens do come back every year with their own seed. They mostly blossom in May. You can leave the bed as it is when they die in winter to get rid of planting their seeds again every year.