Sunpatiens Vs New Guinea Impatiens: Floral Face-Off

People have found themselves in a dilemma, pondering over the remarkable resemblance in foliage and blooms between Sunpatiens and its parentage, New Guinea Impatiens.

So before mixing the Impatiens variety, read on and understand their similarities and dissimilarities to avoid wasting your efforts.

Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens: Similarities

Comparing the Sunpatiens with its parent New Guinea Impatiens before bringing one home is always safe.

Although the Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens are different as a variety, they both feature colorful blooms with easy care requirements.

• Growing Zones: As semi-tropical lovers, Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens grow best in zone 10-12. They give out the finest blooms outdoors in southeastern states.
• Soil Requirement: Both Impatiens varieties prefer consistently moist and well-draining soil that is slightly acidic to neutral (5.5-7 pH).
• Water Need: Sogginess is an enemy of Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens, so they require weekly watering in summer.
• Bloom Time: Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens are long bloomers, typically the former. But the bloom time starts in spring and lasts till the first frost.
• Life Cycles: The Impatiens are always must-have perennials, including these varieties. However, outdoors Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens in the colder zones show annual behavior.
• Disease and Pest Resistivity: Sunpatiens and New Guinea Impatiens are hybrid varieties with resistivity to Impatiens Downy Mildew. But New Guinea is also resistant to pests like aphids, mealy bugs, and thrips.

Sunpatiens Vs New Guinea Impatiens: Differences

If the Impatiens varieties had only similarities, new types would hold no importance in the market.

The same is for New Guinea Impatiens and Sunpatiens since the significant characteristics of the varieties are dissimilar (vs), which you can see below.

1. Requirement of Light

Sunpatiens resound two words, “Sun” and “patience,” indicating that this variety of Impatiens is the only one to tolerate full sun.

Because of their tolerance to the full sun, all Sunpatiens with different growth habits, like vigorous, compact, and spreading, exhibit the same characteristics.

In contrast, the New Guinea Impatiens prefer shade over the full sun. But the partial morning sun rays with afternoon shade can benefit the plant.

Thus you can say the eastern area is for New Guinea Impatiens while the deep south can be for Sunpatiens.

2. Plant and Flower Size 

Differentiating plants and flower sizes before reaching maturity can be complex as they hold a faint line of variations.

Here, Sunpatiens flowers are 2 to 3 inches in diameter and long-lasting. In comparison, New Guinea Impatiens flowers have only 1.5 inches diameter flowers.

Also, the color range for Sunpatients flowers goes from bluish pink to coral, white, red, neon, orange, magenta, blue, and purple.

The slight difference in colors is the double flower of New Guinea Impatiens has less variance, and blue ones are never an option.

In addition to flower size, the spreading habit can help identify them apart. The spreading New Guinea Impatiens attain a height and width of 18-24 inches.

Meanwhile, compact Sunpatiens’ height and width range from 12-18 inches.

3. Sensitivity and Robustness

Taking over the parentage of New Guinea Impatiens is not always possible as you cannot surpass your parents in certain factors.

For instance, New Guinea Impatiens are more robust in surviving and resisting the disease than Sunpatiens.

However, New Guinea struggles in different climates and has a demand that needs to be fulfilled to make them give their best.

While Sunpatiens, as hybrids, have a more robust nature than garden Impatiens. It can thrive in any circumstance and can overdo its lineage in case of sun tolerance.