Impatiens niamniamensis aka Parrot Plant

Impatiens niamniamensis, the parrot plant, belongs to the balsam family, Balsaminaceae. It comes from wet, tropical parts of Africa. Kew gives its range as Cameroon to South Sudan and Angola. It grows in damp forests, bushland, and along river banks. Wild plants often grow in deep shade near paths. Some grow on tree trunks, old stumps, or rocks.

This upright, evergreen perennial has a short life span. Garden plants reach about 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre] tall. Their spread is about 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. The RHS gives one to two years to full size. Useful Tropical Plants reports taller plants, reaching 8.2 feet [2.5 metres]. It also records rare plants that live as annuals. Thick, fleshy stems turn woody at the base. Reports differ on how much the stems branch.

The flowers hang beneath the leaves on the upright plant. Each bloom forms a flattened tube with three clear colours. Its hooded opening is green, and its middle is yellow. A hooked red tail completes the flower's shape. These blooms give the plant its parrot common name. In its native range, it flowers through the year. Growers use it as a garden or pot plant. Its upright form also suits a single accent in bedding.

Give it shelter, partial shade, and soil that drains well. Keep the soil moist rather than letting water stand. It accepts chalk, clay, loam, and sand. Acid, neutral, and alkaline soils all suit it. The plant cannot withstand frost and needs winter protection. The RHS rates it H1B, suitable for summer outdoors. Containers suit patios and make winter protection more practical. Seeds and softwood cuttings provide ways to raise new plants. It needs no routine pruning.

The RHS reports few disease problems with this species. Under glass, aphids, red spider mites, and whiteflies may attack. Vine weevils can also cause problems in protected growing spaces. People cook the leaves as a vegetable in its native range. They also use the leaves to make a vegetable salt. Traditional medicine uses the leaves for wounds, sores, and pain. Those records describe folk uses, not proof of effective treatment. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards for the species.