Impatiens puberula HWJK 2063

Hardy Impatiens Balsaminaceae

A particularly choice Himalayan balsam, and thankfully one that behaves rather better in a British garden than its common name might suggest. This low-growing, spreading perennial produces translucent, creeping stems which root as they wander, eventually making a handsome, gently suckering colony. The broadly elliptic leaves are attractively rugose, while the real prize is the succession of good-sized blue-purple, helmet-shaped flowers, each with a contrasting white spur, produced through summer and into autumn.

HWJK 2063 was collected in the upper Arun Valley of eastern Nepal in 2002 by Dan Hinkley, Bleddyn Wynn-Jones and Ben Kettle. It appreciates a humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil in shade or part shade and should not be allowed to dry out. In cultivation it has proved a robust and rewarding woodland plant, forming a spreading colony without the invasive tendencies associated with some other Impatiens. A handsome choice for the shady border, where its unusual flowers provide a welcome splash of colour through the latter part of summer.

Height: 20–30cm
Spread: 50–80cm
Flowering: July–October
Position: Part shade to shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, never dry
Hardiness: H4/H5, approximately −8 to −10°C