Impatiens omeiana

Mount Omei Balsam Balsaminaceae

An unusually handsome hardy perennial Impatiens, and one of the species that has done much to dispel the notion that Impatiens are merely summer bedding plants. Impatiens omeiana forms an upright, clump-forming plant with thick, fleshy stems and handsome velvety, dark-green leaves, attractively picked out with pale midribs and veins. From summer into autumn, clusters of elegant creamy-yellow, hooded flowers with strongly incurved spurs are held above the foliage. 

Native only to Sichuan, China, where it is associated particularly with the Mount Emei region, it is a rhizomatous perennial of temperate woodland rather than a tropical species.  In cultivation it appreciates humus-rich, reliably moist but well-drained soil in partial shade, preferably in a sheltered position. A generous mulch over the shallow rhizomes is useful in colder gardens. The RHS rates it H6, making the species considerably tougher than its exotic appearance suggests. 

A superb woodland plant beneath deciduous trees, where the foliage provides interest before the flowers appear and the late-season flowering is particularly valuable. It gradually forms a clump rather than behaving like the notorious Himalayan balsam — this is an Impatiens with considerably better manners.

Family: Balsaminaceae
Distribution: Sichuan, China, particularly the Mount Emei region
Flowering: July–October
Hardiness: H6, approximately −20 to −15°C
Height: 40–50 cm
Spread: 40–60 cm