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This is a close look at the rare Impatiens nyungwensis, which was discovered fairly recently in Rwanda. It was found only on a single mountain in the Nyungwe Forest, for which it's named. It is a beautiful species, with super-bright scarlet blooms that have curlique tails. The entire plant is coated with little fuzzy hairs - the leaves, the stems, and the flowers too! It is rarely seen for sale. I don't know anyone else offering seeds of it. It is a trailing perennial species that grows to about a foot tall and 2 feet wide, rooting wherever it touches the soil. It looks great when grown in a hanging basket, where the blooms can be enjoyed up close. It flowers throughout the year for me, with 1¼ inch blooms that have greenish hoods. It's hard to capture it in photos, but when lit by the sun, the red petals have an unusual shimmer, as if sprinkled with gold dust! This is a true species, not a cultivated hybrid. You might be able to cross-breed it with some other African Impatiens to create new hybrids. Unfortunately the plant is threatened in the Nyungwe Forest due to climate change and could face extinction there. It comes from a mild climate, and prefers moderate temperatures with cool nights. It seems to be happiest with days between 55 and 85°F, and nights between 50 and 65°F. Hot temps with warm nights will likely stress it, and i don't think it can survive frost. It likes dappled sunlight, morning sun, or bright shade. Protect it from strong sunlight. Like most Impatiens, it prefers well-draining soil that's kept evenly moist. Over about 40% humidity is best. In the right conditions, it is easy to grow.
Germination tips for this plant
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