Touch-me-not flowers or balsam: planting and care

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 18 April 2019

Flowers in the distance, touch-me-not (or balsam)

Bursting colours packed onto quick-growing mounds: touch-me-not (Impatiens) flowers so freely that it can carry a whole flower bed, garden box or pot almost single-handed. Care is elementary, but one thing decides everything — shade. Keep it out of scorching sun, water regularly rather than heavily, and it blooms on and on wherever the cold spares it.

Touch-me-not (balsam) at a glance
Name	Impatiens
Family	Balsaminaceae
Type	perennial or annual
Height	8 to 32 inches (20 to 80 cm)
Exposure	part sun and shade
Soil	ordinary
Flowering	late spring to early autumn

Caring for it is effortless and the blooming is abundant. Follow our advice to produce magnificent touch-me-not flowers.

Planting touch-me-not, balsam

Plant touch-me-nots densely to have a thick cover — Plant potted specimens in spring, in shade or part shade

The planting of touch-me-not purchased in nursery pots is performed in spring. Prefer shade or part shade

Mix your earth with flower plant soil mix and water generously to make the flower-bearing abundant.

For touch-me-nots purchased as seeds, you can sow directly in the plot from April onwards.

Caring for and pruning touch-me-not

In heat and sun, touch-me-not will wilt but not die — Drooping in heat is a call for water, not a death sentence

They don’t need any pruning.

You can eliminate wilted flowers regularly (deadheading) in order to boost flower-bearing.

In most cases, touch-me-not will wilt slightly in full sun and/or on hot days. You shouldn’t worry very much, as this is the plant’s coping mechanism to heat. However, it is a signal that the plant needs watering.

Types of touch-me-not

Touch-me-not is a family of plants called Impatiens. There are thousands of cultivars and species in this family! It developed as a shade plant, so it prefers part shade and full shade.

One that resists the sun particularly well is the sunpatiens.
Another that has an appealing shape is garden balsam.

All there is to know about the touch-me-not

Single small touch-me-not flower — Bursting colours carry flower beds and garden boxes

Being very ornamental thanks to its bursting colors, this perennial or annual blooms remarkably in flower beds and garden boxes. Care is elementary and growth is quick.

Don’t be surprised if your touch-me-not doesn’t grow back from one year to the next because it fears the cold. It will survive winter only where the season is mild.

Touch-me-not does great in pots, as long as in the shade — Grown in a pot, it can shelter indoors over winter

But you can try growing it potted to bring it inside your home during the coldest months.

If holes appear on the leaves, be on the lookout for slugs because they love touch-me-not and you must act fast.

Smart tip about touch-me-not

During the blooming, feel free to water regularly but not too much to keep just the right moisture level.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my touch-me-not drooping and wilting?

Wilting in the middle of a hot, bright day is normal for this plant and not a sign that it is dying. It is simply how touch-me-not copes with heat, so there is no need to panic. Treat it instead as a reminder to water, and water regularly but never so much that the soil stays sodden.

Does touch-me-not come back every year?

Often it does not, because it is very sensitive to cold. Where winters are mild it can survive from one year to the next, but elsewhere it behaves as an annual. The way round this is to grow it in a pot and bring it indoors for the coldest part of the year.

Can touch-me-not be grown in full sun?

Impatiens evolved as a woodland shade plant, so part shade and full shade suit it best and that is where it should be planted. In full sun it tends to flag on hot days and needs far more watering. If you want a sun-tolerant one, the sunpatiens stands up to sunshine particularly well.

What is eating holes in my touch-me-not leaves?

Holes appearing in the foliage point to slugs, which are very fond of touch-me-not. Check the plants, especially after damp weather, and deal with them quickly before the clump is stripped. Acting fast makes all the difference, as the soft leaves disappear rapidly.

Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
Pixabay: Hartono Subagio, Bishnu Sarangi, Zsuzsa, JacLou DL
Public Domain: Andreas

Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.

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