Impatiens qingchengshanica P1961

Qingchengshan Balsam Balsaminaceae

A particularly choice hardy Chinese Impatiens, collected by the American plantsman Darrell Probst in Sichuan, China and circulated under his collection number P1961. It forms a relatively low, spreading plant from fleshy underground rhizomes, producing fresh green foliage above which appear a succession of soft pink flowers with orange-washed throats and conspicuous red speckling. The flowers are surprisingly substantial for such a modest plant and continue well into autumn, making it especially valuable late in the season. 

The species is associated with Qingchengshan (Mount Qingcheng) in Sichuan, although the precise collection locality for P1961 should not be assumed without Probst’s original field notes. It is a particularly interesting plant for the collector because P1961 is the collection number rather than a cultivar name, preserving its horticultural provenance.

Give it partial to full shade and reliably moist, humus-rich soil, with good drainage through winter. Like I. omeiana, it retreats to its underground rhizomes in winter and re-emerges in spring, making it considerably tougher than its delicate flowers suggest. A superb plant for the woodland garden, particularly beneath deciduous trees where the late flowers can shine against darkening foliage. RHS currently lists the name as unresolved, so retaining the collection designation P1961 is preferable to forcing an uncertain cultivar status. 

Collection: Darrell Probst, Sichuan, China — P1961.
Distribution: Sichuan, China; associated with the Qingchengshan region.
Flowering: August–October
Hardiness: H5, approximately −15 to −10°C
Height: 30–40 cm
Spread: 40–60 cm