Pansy

From tiny, cheerful Johnny jump-ups to the stunning 3-inch blooms of Majestic Giant pansies, the genus Viola has a spectacular array of delightful plants for the spring garden. They're must-haves to celebrate the first days of spring since they don't mind cold weather and can even take a little snow and ice!

They're pretty planted in masses in the ground, but also cherished for the early color they bring to pots, window boxes, and other containers. By summer, pansies bloom less and their foliage starts to brown. It's at this time that you'll have to be tough and tear them out and replant with warm-season annuals, such as marigolds or petunias. But that's part of their charm -- they are an ephemeral celebration of spring!

Light:

Sun,Part Sun

Zones:

2-11

Plant Type:

Annual,Perennial

Plant Height:

4-9 inches tall

Plant Width:

4-12 inches wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Fragrant

Top Varieties

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Blue & Purple Rain viola

(Viola 'Blue & Purple Rain') is an award-winning selection with purple flowers that age to white, then mature to purple and blue. It grows 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
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Bowles' Black pansy

(Viola x wittrockiana 'Bowles' Black') offers purple blooms that are so dark they appear black.
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Fizzy Lemonberry pansy

(Viola x wittrockiana 'Fizzy Lemonberry') bears fun, ruffly flowers of soft yellow edged in grape-purple. It grows 8 inches tall and wide.
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Karma Yellow pansy

(Viola x wittrockiana 'Karma Yellow') produces soft yellow blooms in spring or fall. It grows 8 inches tall and wide.
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Maxim Marina pansy

(Viola x wittrockiana 'Maxim Marina') is a charming variety with purple, lavender, and white blooms.
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Padpardja pansy

(Viola x wittrockiana 'Padpardja') bears vibrant, solid-orange blooms.
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Velocity Baby Blue viola

(Viola williamsii 'Velocity Baby Blue') produces soft silvery, blue-purple flowers on a mounded, compact plant to 8 inches tall and wide. It offers good heat resistance.
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Velocity Lavender with Yellow Eye viola

(Viola williamsii 'Lavender with Yellow Eye') shows off lavender-blue flowers with a yellow center. It grows 8 inches tall and wide and holds up well to hot temperatures.
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Velocity Lemon and Plum Picotee viola

(Viola williamsii 'Velocity Lemon and Plum Picotee') bears bright yellow blooms edged in plum-purple on a mounded, compact plant to 8 inches tall and wide. It offers good heat resistance.
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Garden Plans

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Blue-Theme Garden Plan
Small-Space Spring Show Garden Plan
Spring Rock Garden
Summer Rock Garden
Multiple Pots Container Garden
Shared Garden
Waterside Retreat Garden Plan
Flowery Deck Garden Plan
Pretty Pink Container Garden Plan
Season-Long Garden Plan
English Victorian Cottage Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Flowering kale

Kale and pansies can extend the bedding plant growing season for northern gardeners. They thrive in cool spring and fall temperatures, and even withstand some frost.

Osteospermum

Lavender osteospermum coordinate well with some of the lavender bicolor pansies.

Snapdragon

Taller snapdragons make a great backdrop for shorter pansies.

Propagation

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Seed