Impatient For Impatiens? New UF Research Gives Hope
If you’re impatient for impatiens, a University of Florida scientist has good news for you: Some varieties of the popular flower resist the deadly downy mildew disease better than others.
Many people love to plant impatiens — also known as the “Touch Me Not” — in their gardens, yards and patios because of their bright, colorful flowers and tolerance to shade, said Zhanao Deng. The UF/IFAS ornamental plant breeder leads cutting-edge research to find out how he can bolster the impatiens industry by eliminating the downy mildew pathogen.
“Downy mildew is a highly destructive disease in a wide range of crops worldwide, not just impatiens,” said Deng, a UF/IFAS environmental horticulture professor at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. The disease can cause extensive damage to lettuce, basil, melon, squash and grapes, among others.
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