Viola × wittrockiana (synonym: Viola tricolor var. Hortensis) | Pansy
Violaceae (Violet Family) Pronounced Vie-oh-lay-see-eye
Pronounced Vie-OH-lah by Wiht-rock-kee-AYE-nuh
Pansy is from the French word "pensee" meaning "thought" as the flower is a symbol of remembrance. In Europe and Asia it is known as 'Heartsease" aka Heart's-ease.
Pansy like full sun, but they need cool temperatures to survive. They die in the heat of the Summer. They love the Spring and the Autumn, but the colors lend themselves to a Spring flower.
The plant is an annual and most often are bought in the stores as starter plants, but can also be grown from seed. They are often the first signs of Spring color.
The flower has five petals. Two petals at the top overlap, then there are two side petals, and then there is a single petal at the bottom. There is a slight beard (like an Iris has) from the center of the flower. It is "tricolor" because it often has three colors. The lower petal is often yellow, the two middle petals are often white, and the two top petals are often dark purple. There are also dark lines radiating from the center of the flower.
It is said that Pansies have four petals pointing up and one pointing down, and Violets have two petals pointing up and three pointing down.
Many confuse pansy with its more petite relative, the viola. Both have flowers with five petals. However, pansy has four petals pointing up and one pointing down. In contrast, three of viola’s petals point up and two point down. Its flowers also are usually smaller than those of the pansy.
According to the University of Missouri, the best time to plant pansies in Missouri for fall color is in late March or early September. Pansies can provide color for several weeks and can even bloom through the winter in areas with long frost-free periods.
Pansy seeds can take 4–20 days to germinate
Pansy seeds can take 8 (56 days) weeks to 12 (84 days) weeks to bloom from the time they are sown. However, some say that pansy plants should flower in about 110–120 days.
September 1 to November 1 is only 61 days.
August 1 to November 1 is 81 days
If you live farther south, sow seeds a little later in July, or in August. In hot weather it usually takes 6 weeks for seeds to become pansy seedlings of a size suitable for transplanting to their permanent locations. Then they should have another month or 6 weeks to become established in their permanent site and to approach blooming size before cold weather arrives. In this way they will winter well and will be ready for early spring bloom.
2026
2022
2020
