In the greenhouse environment in young plants, light damage in N.G. imps is strongly related to watering. If you let them get too dry, to the point of wilt, and then combine that with too much sun, you may find the leaves will not recuperate and often fall off, leaving only the growth point. They struggle and often stunt and never do live up to their potential. I've had to move them in the greenhouse situation as spring progressed, to the benches with the lowest direct light. They do need enough light to initiate good bloom however. Otherwise they'll have lush, tender foliage and not be highly budded. They're fairly tough when mature but you do the dance to get them to that point. Filtered light is a good situation for them, morning/evening sun is also a good situation for them at most latitudes.

No.....they require full shade....I have some of them...and have to water them every day in this Texas heat and they are in the shade....

I live in New Zealand and have fought a real battle to grow these plants. We are equvalent to US zone 9, temperate climate. They are susceptible to sudden collapse and root rot, as well as botrytis. They flower like mad if kept slightly pot bound and exposed to lots of direct morning sun. Be careful though as too pot bound impedes drainage and very quickly causes stem rot in these plants. The key seems to be lots of water but with excellent drainage and drier when it is cool. Fallen leaves and flowers causes botrytis almost overnight, so keep the plant clean. A systemic fungicide solved my problems with the Guinea Impatiens and the wilt or sudden collapse problems. Our southern hemisphere midday+ sun is much to bright for them in summer, so they are kept partially shaded in afternoons. They won't flower in full shade, get leggy and eventually collapse. They love misty fine rain in our hot/dry summer and lots of water. I water mine with tepid-warm water like you do with African violets, so as not to shock the plant with sudden cold. Our winters can be rather cold and very wet, so I keep them indoors but fairly close to a window with sun/lots of light and reasonably dry, but never arid to the point where they wilt. I had two 3-year old plants in buckets which flowered beautifully and were fairy large, but they were hit by a rogue frost, albiet a light one and died virtually that day. Each colour of the Guinea Impatiens seems to have different hardiness. The purple colour is by far the strongest and easiest to grow in my opinion, while I find red and white more difficult. Pink is also easy to flower, big blooms but a much smaller plant. Odd eh. Even with failures, I keep buying these plants because they are just so lovely.

I have new guinea impatiens i planted sometimes last year. I never pulled them out. Can i just leave them in and they will come back to life and grow blooms?