A new Japanese plant now does well in hot, humid East Texas
BY JOE DANIEL

Sunpatiens Magenta

Plant breeders in Japan developed a plant they are marketing as SunPatiens. It is no less than spectacular. They took one of the world's most beautiful plants and changed it to where it will now grow well in the hottest most humid parts of Japan or East Texas. Not only were heat and humidity problems overcome, but also the inability to tolerate bright sunshine. The plant was first marketed exclusively at Home Depot stores but is now even more widely available. It is most often used in garden beds or hanging baskets.

SunPatiens have preformed well in trials at The Dallas Arboretum, University of Florida and at the University of Georgia. In East Texas, New Summerfield area nurserymen report outstanding performance.

A large percentage of the SunPatiens genetics comes from the publication called The Gardeners Chronicle. Then in 1894 Robert Cameron of the Botanical Garden at Harvard University wrote "this is an excellent plant and deserves to be more plentifully grown". New Guinea Impatiens seemed to have gone by the wayside until in 1970 when a group of plantsmen headed by USDA scientists went collecting in the Australian New Guinea subtropical highlands. They brought 25 plants back to the United States. By the early 1980s when I first saw one, millions of dollars were being spent for New Guinea impatiens. I thought it was one of the most beautiful plants I had ever seen. It was a hanging basket with seemingly hundreds of magenta flowers that were the size of fifty cent pieces. Underneath the blooms were dark green lush leaves. New Guinea Impatiens proved not to be up to the hot humid sun that fills East Texas summers.

They seemed to do ok until about the month of May. About the year 2000, the breeders from the Sakata Company added genetics for heat, humidity and sun performance. The results are this inter-specific impatiens marketed as SunPatiens. 2006 press releases used words such as " a different beast, a large robust landscape plant that will flower through unbelievable summer conditions." These words seem to undersell the SunPatiens product. Flower color of white, orange, magenta and red are available.

They will winter kill and will not reseed. Over watering can lead to root rot. Never-the-less consider trying them in your landscape this year. They are special and worth some additional cost.

Joe Daniel is horticulturist for Cherokee County. He can be reached at (903) 683-5416.