Marianne's Response

No Exploding Pods

Years ago Impatiens produced marvelous exploding seed pods when grown here in Ohio each summer, but no more! Why? Very infrequently do I see one. What gives?

Posted by Greg Wourms on June 15, 2020

Marianne's Response

There are hundreds of impatience varieties but the exploding seed pods are on plants  with ripe seeds so that would mean early blooming varieties and the more wild or species impatience. The newer varieties are bred to flower continuously with less ripening seeds. Impatiens grown in the sun will also be more likely to have ripe seed pods and that exploding feature. The one warning is that when those seeds explode the plants can become invasive. So now many gardeners prefer the less seedy plants.  Keep growing, Marianne Binetti