A: Impatiens do indeed come back from their own seed each year. You'll realize with experience that the seedlings don't begin blooming until late May, which is why most folks plant blooming, nursery-grown impatiens plants in April. To get yearly re-seeding, leave the bed alone after winter kills the plants.

Can impatiens survive the winter?

Dry winds desiccate their leaves, and cold temperatures and moisture cause their roots and stems to rot. Impatiens plants that bloomed enthusiastically through the previous spring, summer and fall are probably all tuckered out and won't survive the winter.

Do potted impatiens come back every year?

Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) is a tender, tropical perennial plant that only lives outdoors year-round in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11.