Goodbye to the Busy Lizzie?

It's been reported over the past few years that the Impatiens Downy Mildew has been spreading and it looks like this year will be a crunch year for Busy Lizzies. While you can still buy Busy Lizzies from many places online, it's worth noting that big chains such as B&Q will not be stocking them this year and are promoting alternatives, which is seen as important especially as sales of Busy Lizzies can reach £25 million annually.

Alternatives
The alternatives to Busy Lizzies as seen on the Thompson and Morgan page include the Sunpatiens series, which are lovely alternatives, along with Begonias and Petunias.It's important to note that the Sunpatiens require more warmth and sun and aren't so good in the shade.

Sunpatiens from the Thompson and Morgan site.

So what's the problem?
The problem is a fungus-like organism called Plasmopara obducens which affects the plant in two ways. The first is that the leaf turns yellow and a white powder on the underside of the leaf can be seen. Secondly the plant can be reduced to bare stems, with the leaves and flowers dropping from the plant. If the plant is affected very badly it will die.

Defra report that the first outbreak on cultivated Busy Lizzies occurred in the UK during 2003, prior to this there are no records of this pathogen in the UK. It's interesting to note that while Defra say that records are incomplete, there have been no records of powdery mildew on wild UK Impatiens, which may suggest that this issue only affects our cultivated Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana).

Unfortunately this pathogen is present in various European countries, such as the Netherlands and Germany, along with States in North America and in Asia.

What can we do?
Unfortunately there is nothing that we as gardeners can do to stop this as there are no chemical treatments or controls for the downy mildew.  If you find the infection then it's best to bury the infected plants at least 50cm. Don't compost them and it's best not to put them in the green waste collections. It's also recommended that Busy Lizzies are grown in the area for at least 1 year, although it's probably best not to grow them in the area for a few years to ensure that the spores are no longer viable.

You could also raise plants from seeds, but as the spores are dispersed through the air it's still possible that these Busy Lizzies will be infected. For more information see this page from the RHS.


There are many lovely plants that can be chosen as replacements and we may even find that a new species of plant takes the place of the Busy Lizzie, although hopefully in time there will be a control available and we'll be able to welcome the Busy Lizzie back into our bedding. Until then try not to be impatient for the Impatiens! (Sorry, it just had to be said!)