Velvetea Impatiens Care: Tips For Growing Velvet Love Impatiens

Potted Velvet Love Impatiens Plant
velvet love
(Image credit: Maja Dumat)

Impatiens are a staple annual flower for many gardeners, especially those with shady spots to fill. These flowers do well in partial shade and come in a variety of colors. If you love the usual impatiens found at most garden centers, try the Velvet Love plant. This variety of impatiens is unique with pretty foliage and flowers. Read on for more Velvet Love impatiens info.

Velvet Love Impatiens Information

Impatiens morsei, also known as the Velvet Love impatiens, or velvetea, is a variety from China that has foliage and flowers unlike most impatiens you’ve seen. It may be difficult to find in your local nursery but is worth tracking down, online if necessary. 

The common name comes from the fact that the leaves are a soft, velvety deep green. They are so dark they appear black in certain light. The leaves also have a bright pink stripe down the center and are anchored on pink stems.

Velvet Love blooms are white with orange and yellow markings. They are about an inch (2.5 cm.) long and tubular in shape with colored markings in the throat. Velvet Love impatiens grow upright and quite tall if given the right conditions. They can be as tall as two feet (61 cm.).

Growing Velvet Love Impatiens

This variety of impatiens, like other varieties, is easy to grow. Velvetea impatiens care is simple if you can give the plants their favored conditions. They prefer a warm climate, so for many people, these plants are annuals. If you live somewhere warm, you may get year-round blooms out of your Velvet Love plant.

They also do well with at least partial shade and some humidity. Soil should be rich and kept moist but also needs to drain well. These plants will suck up water, especially during the summer and dry spells.

In addition to growing Velvet Love as an outdoor annual, consider potting it as an indoor plant. If you can keep it moist and humid, this plant thrives in containers and even in a terrarium. The indoor warmth will keep it blooming much of the year too.

Mary Ellen Ellis
Writer

Mary Ellen Ellis has been gardening for over 20 years. With degrees in Chemistry and Biology, Mary Ellen's specialties are flowers, native plants, and herbs.