Disease-Resistant Beacon Impatiens Adds Color to Shade
Updated: Mar. 14, 2023
Beat downy mildew with vibrant, shade-tolerant Beacon Impatiens—the gardening world's answer to the disease plaguing impatiens since 2011.
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Why Grow Beacon Impatiens?
Aside from their beauty and shade tolerance, there’s one key reason to go with Beacon Impatiens: disease resistance. In recent years, Impatiens walleriana flowers suffered from a major outbreak of impatiens downy mildew (IDM). The disease was so widespread and decimating that many gardeners were forced to stop planting the flowers altogether. Even worse, the disease could overwinter in the soil. This means it could infect new flowers from growing season to growing season.
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However, these blooms scoff at downy mildew. Specifically bred to resist the disease, they’re meant to have a high tolerance for IDM. On the whole, they should not be affected by the ailment that’s plagued Impatiens walleriana for more than a decade.
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Care and Growing Tips
Common Name: Beacon Impatiens
Scientific Name: Impatiens walleriana
Zones: 9 to 11, annual if grown elsewhere
Size: 10 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches wide
Soil Needs: Fertile, well-draining soil
Light Needs: Full to part shade
These flowers are the perfect pick for a shade garden. They’ll add a perky pop of color to anywhere the shadows need some brightening up. The plants are tough and can survive a variety of conditions, but they do need watering when the soil becomes dry. Container grown plants will dry out more quickly. The Beacon Impatiens website recommends fertilizing the plants every 4 to 5 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer.
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Beacon Impatiens Colors
Introduced for the 2020 growing season, Beacon Impatiens are now widely available in a variety of eye-catching hues. You can find them in six colors: bright red, violet, salmon, orange, white and coral. Some growers sell a mix of several shades to add multicolored flair to your yard.
Originally Published: March 14, 2023
