The SunPatiens series represents a genuine breeding achievement. Developed by the Japanese seed company Sakata through crosses between New Guinea impatiens and wild impatiens species, these hybrids can handle full sun and the humid heat of a North American summer that would wilt or diseased traditional varieties within weeks. They come in three series with distinct habits: Compact at 18 to 24 inches, Spreading at 24 to 30 inches, and Vigorous at 30 to 36 inches in a vase-shaped form, giving gardeners meaningful choice in how they use them. Flower colors range through pinks, corals, oranges, salmon, red, lilac, lavender, and white across the range of cultivars.

They bloom from spring through frost with unusual consistency, and unlike other impatiens they do not drop their buds when water-stressed, though the leaves may scorch if the soil dries out repeatedly. They are not affected by the downy mildew that devastated common impatiens, though they remain susceptible to fungal blights and impatiens necrotic spot virus in poor conditions. In the landscape they work well in sunny borders, containers, on slopes, and along walkways, bringing the same mounding, flower-covered exuberance as their relatives but without the shade dependency or disease anxiety that comes with the territory.