Impatiens Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Impatiens

Impatiens scapiflora
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Balsaminaceae
Genus:	Impatiens

Impatiens tinctoria

Impatiens is a group of about 850 to 1,000 different kinds of flowering plants. You can find them all over the Northern Hemisphere and in warm, tropical places. These plants, along with Hydrocera triflora, belong to the plant family called Balsaminaceae.

Why They Are Called "Touch-Me-Nots"
Impatiens as Garden Plants
When Impatiens Can Be a Problem
Images for kids
See also

Why They Are Called "Touch-Me-Nots"

The name Impatiens comes from a Latin word meaning "impatient." These plants are also known as "touch-me-nots." This is because of their special seed pods.

When the seed pods are ready, they 'explode' if you touch them. This shoots the seeds several meters away! This quick way of spreading seeds is called "explosive dehiscence." It's a cool example of rapid plant movement.

Impatiens as Garden Plants

Many Impatiens plants are very popular in gardens. They are often grown as annuals, meaning they live for one growing season.

Some common types grown in gardens are hybrids. These are mixes of different Impatiens plants. Two well-known ones are "Busy Lizzie" (I. walleriana) and the New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri).

I. walleriana comes from East Africa. A person named Claude Hope helped create many popular types of Impatiens for gardens. He developed the 'Elfin' series, which was later made even better as the 'Super Elfin' series. You can even find Impatiens with double flowers, which look extra fluffy!

When Impatiens Can Be a Problem

Even though they are pretty, some Impatiens can cause problems. For example, in warm places like Hawaii, "Busy Lizzie" can sometimes grow out of control. When a plant grows too much and harms other plants or the environment, it is called a weed.