From Madagascar - land of strange plants - comes this exotic rarity, Impatiens eriosperma.  Like playful toys, these adorable blooms with their curly-Q tails fill the plant all throughout the year.  This Impatiens happens to be very easy to grow, reaching over 2 feet tall.  I'd like to see more people growing this unusual and very enjoyable plant.  This species is very rare - I don't know any other U.S. source for it on the internet.

 Impatiens eriosperma is a perennial, evergreen species with an upright bush-like shape.  The flowers appear almost every month of the year for me!  The unusual blooms are slightly longer than an inch and are an eye-catching shade of pinkish-red.  They have a cottony tuft of white pollen when they're in the male stage.  This is a true species, not a cultivated hybrid.  

Very little is known about Impatiens eriosperma.  It doesn't seem as heat-sensitive as some of my other rare Impatiens, however i have no information on how it will do in warmer climates like Florida or Texas.  Consider it experimental in temperatures consistently above 85 degrees, especially if nights are warm.  It can tolerate dips into the 30s, but it cannot take frost.  It makes a great indoor houseplant, growing easily in a 1 gallon pot.  Like most Impatiens, it prefers filtered sun and moist, well-draining soil with regular feeding.  Over about 40% humidity is recommended.