Impatiens Plant Problems

Healthy impatiens flower profusely and produce lush foliage.

Healthy impatiens flower profusely and produce lush foliage.

Most impatiens (Impatiens spp.) grow as low-maintenance, shade-loving annual flowers. A few varieties grow as perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, such as busy Lizzie (Impatiens walleriana). The plants can suffer some problems that affect their flowering, appearance and health. Quickly diagnosing the issue can help you solve it and save your impatiens flowers from an early death.

Cultural Issues

Too much sun and heat cause impatiens to wilt, flower poorly or die. Impatiens require cool weather and bright but indirect light. Intense sun can cause sunburn, which results in scorched leaf tips or yellow and brown spots on the foliage. Water stress can also kill the plants, especially when coupled with heat and sun. Impatiens require approximately 1 inch of water weekly so the top 6 inches of soil remain moist. Improper fertilizing or poor soil may cause further problems, including sparse foliage, weak growth and poor flowering. Impatiens grow best in soil rich in organic matter and benefit from monthly soluble fertilizer applications during the growing season.


The most common pests on impatiens are aphids, mites, thrips and leafminers. These soft-bodied pests usually feed on the sap of the leaves, although they may chew the foliage. Most pests feed on the undersides of the leaves, so inspect under the leaves if you see leaf spots or other damage. Spraying infested impatiens with an insecticidal soap, following package instructions, destroys most of these pests. Root nematodes, which infect the roots, cause the plants to wilt and die as the root system is destroyed. There is no cure for nematodes other than planting impatiens in a different garden bed in the future.

Fungal Problems

Fungal diseases can plague impatiens in their preferred moist and shady growing spots. Powdery mildew, downy mildew and gray mold, or botrytis blight, cause foliage and flower damage. Powdery mildew develops as a white powdery growth on leaves, flowers and stems. Downy mildew appears as yellow stippling on foliage that eventually causes the leaves to curl inward and a white growth to appear on the undersides of leaves. Gray mold causes the buds to die and the leaves to brown and die back. Proper watering and keeping the foliage dry helps prevent mildew. Removing infected leaves or entire plants prevents the spread. A clean garden is also less prone to mildew, so weed the bed and dispose of dead, damaged and fallen plant material.


Bacterial diseases include leaf spot and fasciation. Bacterial diseases can cause stem, flower or root rot. The leaves usually discolor and wilt, often developing discolored spots that eventually turn black. Destroying infected impatiens plants can prevent the bacteria from spreading to the remaining impatiens. Fasciation causes the base of the impatiens to distort and flatten or fuse. Keeping the foliage dry and destroying affected plants can prevent the spread of the bacteria. There is no cure for viral diseases like necrotic spot virus, which results in lesions on the leaves. Preventing insect pests, which spread viral diseases, reduces the chance of infection.

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