🌸 When to Plant Impatiens
Shade-tolerant annual; continuous bloom; needs consistent moisture; avoid afternoon sun
📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone
Impatiens is a warm-season crop — plant it after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, and start seeds indoors a few weeks ahead for a head start. Find the exact start-indoors, transplant, and direct-sow dates for your USDA zone in the table below.
Select your zone to highlight your dates. All dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates — see how we calculate them.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | Mar 21 | May 30 | — |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | Mar 6 | May 15 | — |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | Feb 27 | May 8 | — |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | Feb 20 | May 1 | — |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | Feb 14 | Apr 25 | — |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | Feb 7 | Apr 18 | — |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | Feb 10 | Apr 21 | — |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | Jan 30 | Apr 10 | — |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | Jan 25 | Apr 5 | — |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | Jan 17 | Mar 28 | — |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | Jan 9 | Mar 20 | — |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | Jan 1 | Mar 12 | — |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | Dec 20 | Feb 28 | — |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | Dec 7 | Feb 15 | — |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | Nov 23 | Feb 1 | — |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | Nov 6 | Jan 15 | — |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | Oct 23 | Jan 1 | — |
Impatiens are the go-to annual for shady spots — they thrive where sun-lovers fail, producing mounds of color with minimal effort.
Top Growing Tips
- The premier shade annual — tolerates deep shade better than almost any other
- Keep consistently moist — wilts quickly but recovers when watered
- New Guinea impatiens tolerates more sun; standard types prefer shade
- Pinch to promote bushier growth early in the season
- Watch for downy mildew — improve air circulation if foliage yellows
Companion Planting
Good companions: hostas, ferns, begonias, caladiums
Avoid planting near: Full sun (causes wilting and sunscald)
Harvest Timeline
Ornamental; no deadheading required — self-cleaning
Growing impatiens in your region?
These dates come from your zone's frost windows. For the full month-by-month plan — succession sowing, variety picks, and timing tuned to your climate, not just your zone — our regional vegetable-gardening guides cover your area start to finish.
Find your regional growing guide