Impatiens bicaudata

Impatiens bicaudata

This is an unusual shrubby Impatiens from Madagascar, called Impatiens bicaudata (though I have also seen it referred to as Impatiens auricoma x bicaudata). I received this as a cutting from a friend and within a year it grew to a height of around 1.8 m, developed a stout trunk, and didn't stopped flowering. The orange and yellow curled flowers are like a flock of tiny, exotic birds, or perhaps a school of open-mouthed goldfish! The lush-leaved plant grows in part to full shade, liking well-drained soil but appreciating some moisture, especially during the warmer months. It is cold sensitive, so I cut it back in mid-August. It grows readily from cuttings and in my garden it has self-seeded a lot, which doesn't worry me too much - yet! My shrub grows with red-flowered cane Begonia and shade-tolerant Salvia splendens in scarlet tones, and in another spot I have paired it with golden-yellow Pachystachys lutea to pick up its yellow markings. After a few years, the plant can get woody, at which point it is best to replace it with a young plant.