Let’s check out the differences and similarities below and see if you can decide which one is best for you. Who knows? You might even decide both are.
Key Differences Between Impatiens and Petunia
Though the flowers look alike, petunias and impatiens come from different families and have very different histories.
Impatiens vs. Petunia: Classification
Though the two flowers look similar, they are actually quite different, coming from different regions of the world and different families. Impatiens is the name for the larger genus, with many varieties (over 1000) of plants we commonly refer to as impatiens. They are largely distributed throughout the Northern hemisphere and the tropics both and belong to the family Balsaminaceae. The flowers have many names, including impatiens, jewelweed (exclusively used for Nearctic species), balsam impatiens, busy lizzie, touch-me-nots, patience, and snapweeds. Some of the varieties have specific nicknames in certain parts of the world, including the impatiens walleriana specifically known as busy lizzie and impateins glandulifera commonly referred to as policemen’s helmet in the UK. Petunia, on the other hand, is a genus of 20 species of flowering plants from South American origin. The name, interestingly, though, comes from a French term (petun) meaning tobacco, which is derived from the Tupi Guarani language of its native land. The plant has many varieties and hybrids seen throughout gardens. The specific varieties will bear the name petunia plus whatever the hybrid’s name is. An example would be petunia atkinsiana. Petunias are part of the larger family the Solanaceae, as a subfamily Peunioideae. The larger family is the nightshade family, meaning petunias are part of the same family as tomatoes, tomatillos, Chinese lantern plants, ground cherries, and eggplants, among others. Most petunia species are actually annual herbs, though they are not edible.
Impatiens vs. Petunia: Description
Most impatiens plant species have succulent stems, not woody stems, but they are technically herbaceous annuals and perennials. Depending on the species you plant, you’ll find the plants may be anywhere from 2 inches to 8 feet in height. Obviously, some of these plants are much more “tree” than they are “plant.” Leaves may be thin to thick and wet (succulent), often trapping tiny air bubbles underneath them, giving them a shiny gray sheen. The flowers are irregular in shape and may either be solitary or grow in clusters. The flowers are a funnel shaped bloom. They may be purple, yellow, red, white, pink, orange, or similar shades. Petunias also come in a huge range of sizes, shapes, colors, and forms. The two main forms for the flowers are multifloras and grandifloras. They may be in single or double forms, with grandifloras being much larger. The flowers are funnel shaped and may have many different edges to them, including crisped, waved, curled, or doubled. The colors are pink, red, lavender, purple, peach, white, cream, orange, yellow, and similar shades.
Impatiens vs. Petunia: Uses
Impatiens are best known as potted, hanging, raised bed, and in-ground garden flowers. They make excellent border plants, vertical garden plants (when the right variety is selected), and indoor plants. These plants may also be grown in water, if you’re looking for a different take on the indoor plant life. They have had other uses over the years, though. Impatiens have been in use for centuries as topical treatments for stinging nettle, insect bites, bee stings, and similar skin irritations and conditions. They have been used after poison ivy encounters, as well, and even in prevention of reaction for the poisonous weed. There are conflicting studies over the efficacy of the plant in these uses, however. They are somewhat toxic, however, and should not be ingested. Always consult a medical practitioner before use of plants for topical treatments as well, and instead rely on their expertise to avoid causing health issues for yourself. Petunias are also particularly well-known for their uses as hanging, potted, raised bed, and in-ground garden flowers. They are favored as indoor plants in colder climates, since they cannot tolerate frost, and planted outdoors in hotter climates where they thrive in plenty of sunlight. They are not particularly noted for medicinal uses but are not particularly noted as toxic. They are specifically recommended for low-allergen gardens, however.
Impatiens vs. Petunia: Origins and Growing Preferences
Impatiens are native to Africa, Eurasia, and North America. Two species have also been found in isolated areas of Costa Rica. Primarily in Africa, they are found in Madagascar in the tropical and subptropical mountains, in the Himalayas, the Western Ghats in India, and in southeast Asia. In Europe, they have popped up naturally in various locales. The plants were popular and were brought from America to England, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and northern and central Europe as well, but these were specific cultivars that did not already exist in those regions. Impatiens do best in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. They need to be sheltered from the wind and need plenty of space for growing as they can get quite large. They prefer partial shade and acidic soil. Petunias, on the other hand, come from the nightshade family and have been in legend and tale of old for centuries in clear, distinctive memory. They originated in South America where European explorers found them and eventually brought them back to Spain in particular, along with other locales as time passed. They were in Tupi-Guarani language areas specifically. Centuries after the initial invaders brought back the plants, botanists were sent to Argentina to find the plant and journal on it. In 1831, Scottish explorer John James Tweedie found petunia species in the Americas as well and brought back specimens to the UK. They were sent to the Glasgow Botanical Gardens. The Petunia tweedia is named after him. Toward the end of the 19th Century, breeders from England, Japan, Germany, and America started cross breeding the plants to create even more varieties of the plants. Petunias prefer full sun living, with well-drained soil and cool temperatures, making them great for environments like the UK where they thrived after their exportation. They tolerate light frosts, as well, but are best brought in for hard freezes.
Impatiens vs. Petunia: Special Features and Fun Facts
Impatiens are nicknamed the “touch me not” flower/plant because they are very delicate in some cases. When the seeds capsules are mature, if they are touched even slightly, they will burst and send seeds flying everywhere as far as 20 feet from the plant. They plant also has the nickname of busy lizzie because it’s a prolific bloomer. And if you think the name of the whole genus sounds like “impatient” you’d be correct! The name is derived from Lantin and means “impatient” because of the eager way the seed pods explode when touched. Some varieties of impatiens are used for henna dye and hair coloring. And in ancient China, the petals were mixed with other flowers to make nail polish. Petunias are also interesting little flowers with some fun facts to explore. They are huge pollinator attractors, despite not having immense aromas we can smell as easily as a rose. They’re typically hybrid annuals that we plant in our gardens today, which is part of why so many will bloom for such a long season. Mayan and Incan peoples used to believe that petunias could ward off evil spirits and only grow well in areas with positive energy.
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