I first became aware of the balsam flowers (Impatiens balsamina) many years ago after my mother had purchased several plants for me from a local Amish family near their home. Balsam is a type of impatient that grows upwards to three feet tall, with cup shaped flowers blooming up and down the thick stem. The plants my mother bought from the Amish were double blooms, closely resembling little camellia blooms. The flowers come in a variety of colors including pink, purple, red, and salmon. A favorite of mine is a balsam called ‘Peppermint Stick’, an heirloom variety from the early 1800s. The double blossoms have spotted and striped ruffled flowers in bright white and candy apple red.
Balsam does well in both sun and shade and is extremely easy to start from seed. I always sow the seeds in the spring, and they grow quickly. For earlier blooms, they can be started indoor and planted after the last frost. I like to tuck them in little odd corners in my garden along a curve in the garden path or where daffodils and tulips had bloomed. In recent years, the common shade loving flat flowering inpatients have been plagued with a variety of diseases. For the most part, balsam seems to be resistant to these problems. The plants like fertile soil and plenty of water, being careful to water from below to prevent the plants from getting powdery mildew. Depending on your climate, some say balsam can become invasive and self-seed with a vengeance. In central Ohio, I have never had a problem with balsam self-seeding and becoming a problem. I wish they would, so I wouldn’t need to replant them every year.
Sometimes Balsam is referred to as ‘Touch-me-not’ flowers because the ripe seed pods explode when touched. I have lots of fun at the end of the growing season sitting in a chair in front of my flower beds with a container, allowing the seed pods to explode in my fingers as I gather the balsam seeds for next year!
Balsam adds a tropical flair to your garden. They are very colorful and very easy to grow! I hardly can wait to see the seeds arrive in the stores in late winter, and always buy several packets of balsam seeds!
Image by Walter Biec
