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In early late Aug. I had beautiful impatients that my granddaughter & I planted but one day (no frost yet) I walked across our yard and NO impatients!
There wasn't even a stem left--they were gone as if they'd never been there and no holes in the ground!
Another friend that lives about 17 miles from me had the same thing this year--what happened?

Do you have deer? They love them.

Sure sounds like a critter to me, too.

Gotta be a critter.

I don't know ~~ I always scatter a few in my back
border & none made it thru the extreme heatwave this year...first time ever. So?? I did see rabbits this summer but they never bothered them before?

I thought I read there was some kind of infection with impatiens this year. Not sure but there was some talk about them having to breed resistant varieties for the future.

There is a virus that has been wiping out impatiens. Suddenly all the flowers and leaves are gone and then the stems just collapse. It spread very quickly. My local nursery has already said that they won't grow any this coming winter for the spring. They usually plant thousands of flats. Even though they start with good seeds, they know that the plants are all susceptible. The New Guinea impatiens are not affected by the problem.

Well, that explains a lot!

The ones I bought early and put in my hanging pots had the virus. They were really pathetic looking in about 2-3 wks. after I potted them up. I thought it was our heat that did them in until the word came out about their problems.

I am in S carolina and the same thing happened here. Virus.
??for any Mater gardener.
I have a 1 stemmed impatient here in my house. it's been inside since last year. Do you think I should throw it out ? i don't imagine it has the virus since it hasn't dies off. what do you think?
If it did survive and I put it outside would it contaminate any other plants? don't want to be the cause of an epidemic.

If you put it outside it will get the airborne virus. I am not a master gardener but that's what I've been told. If it had the virus it would have lost all of its flowers and leaves and the stem would have collapsed. Those are the symptoms being reported across the country.

if I keep it going in the house do you think it will be an heirloom??

<);0) [just kidding)