Pansy is a semi-evergreen annual in the violet family (Violaceae) and native to Europe and Asia. It grows 6 to 9 inches in height and 9 to 12 inches in width. This plant is one of the most popular bedding plants for cooler weather and is available in many flower colors, patterns and sizes, with some plants being upright and others having a more trailing habit. Pansy prefers full sun to part shade in humus-rich soils that are consistently moist and well-drained. Plant in the fall for winter and early spring blooms. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. Deadheading spent flowers will prolong the bloom period. Pansy will eventually succumb to summer heat and should then be removed from the garden. This plant can bloom for up to 4 to 6 months, making it an excellent plant for bedding, containers and hanging baskets. Use it as a border or in a mass planting along hardscapes or on slopes or banks. It enlivens children’s, edible and winter gardens. Pansy flowers are edible, but be advised that plants purchased from nurseries or garden centers may have been treated with systemic pesticides. Quick ID Hints 4 to 9 inches tall and appear in low-growing rounded mounds. Flowers round in shape, 1 to 2 inches across in many colors. Five overlapping petals with a center eyespot or face-like markings. Sepals are reflexed or curved back from the flower. Elliptic to lanceolate-shaped leaves with crenate or dentate margins. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fungal leaf disease, pansy leaf spot and powdery mildew may affect this plant. Slugs, snails and glasshouse red spider mites are common pests. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Viola .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheImpatiens hawkeriPetunia x hybridaSalvia rosmarinus
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Ground Cover
Life cycle
Annual; Biennial
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 9 in. | Width: 0 ft. 9 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Mounding; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Dentate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leaf arrangement is difficult to determine because the leaf nodes are so close together. The leaf shape is elliptic to lanceolate with crenate or dentate margins. The leaf measures 1-1.5-inches long. The leaf tissue extends into the petiole and is described as attenuate.
Flower color
Blue; Gold/Yellow; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Edible; Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Sepals are reflexed or curved back from the flower. The flower has 5 overlapping petals with markings. The markings may be an eye spot or have black markings like a face. They are available in many colors and multiple patterns.