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How to Grow Pansies: Care, Planting, and Bloom Tips

yellow and purple pansies in terracotta pots
Photo Credit
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Viola x wittrockiana
Plant Type
Flowers
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Flower Color
Blue
Multicolor
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies

Brighten Your Garden and Containers with Cheerful, Cold-Hardy Pansies

Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Pansies are the cheerful flowers with upturned “faces.” They love cool weather and are popular for growing in spring and fall. They’re also edible, adding color to salads, drinks, and cakes. Here’s how to plant pansies and keep them growing and blooming for bright, happy gardens and containers.

About Pansies

Pansies are a type of Viola (Viola × wittrockiana) with large heart-shaped, overlapping petals and one of the widest ranges of bright, pretty colors and patterns.

Suitable for containers and borders and as groundcover, they are a go-to flower for reliable color almost year-round in some places. Pansies look pretty in a monochrome or mixed-color scheme; they also look beautiful when planted with other cool-season flowers such as primroses, trailing lobelia, and sweet alyssum.

Are Pansies Annual or Perennial Flowers? 

Most gardeners treat pansies (and all violas) as an annual, but they’re actually hardy in USDA Zones 3–8. They tend to get too leggy in the heat of summer. There hasn’t been much success in producing heat-tolerant pansies that can adequately survive hot weather.

Pansies are surprisingly hardy in cold weather, though. They’ll survive a frost, bouncing back from even single-digit temperatures. If the blooms wither in the cold, the plants will often stay alive to bloom again, which makes them a great flowering plant for fall and early winter color.

Pansies in a field

Read Next

Planting

Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-draining soil. See our articles on soil amendments and preparing soil for planting for more information. 

Pansies like full or partial sun but need cooler temperatures to thrive. The ideal planting site will get morning sun but avoid the late afternoon heat. 

Space the plants about 7 to 12 inches apart. They will spread about 9 to 12 inches and grow about 6 to 9 inches tall.

“A technique gaining in popularity is to plant spring-blooming bulbs in fall in the usual fashion, and then install pansies in the same bed, right over the bulbs,” explains Sherri Saunders from the University of Arkansas. “The bulbs will emerge and bloom, providing additional color while the bulb foliage ripens. This is a great way to get more color from your beds until it’s time to plant summer annuals.”

When to Plant Pansies

  • Pansies can be planted in the early spring or in the fall.
  • Pansies can be finicky to start from seed; buying established plants from a local nursery is much easier. Plus, you’ll get blooms a lot sooner.
  • But if you want to start from seed, start pansy seeds indoors in late winter, 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost, for early spring and summer flowering. Or, start seeds in late summer for fall and winter flowering. Pansy seeds may be slow to germinate (typically emerging in anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on soil temperature).
  • Set pansy plants in the ground when it becomes workable in the spring. They grow best when soil temperatures are between 45° and 65°F (7° and 18°C).
  • Pansies can tolerate a light frost just after planting, but try to hold off on putting them in the ground if temperatures are still regularly reaching well below freezing.

Growing Pansies in Pots

  • Pansies are great for containers. Just use standard potting soil designed for containers.
  • Plant in portable containers (12 inches or less in diameter) so the plants can be moved to a cooler area when the sun starts to get stronger. Early in the spring season or in the fall, a south-facing patio might be the perfect spot. During the summer, move pansies to the east side of your home for morning sun and afternoon shade.

Growing

How to Care for Pansies

  • Remember to water pansies regularly. One of the most common reasons pansies fail is that they are not watered enough, so if they are not doing well, try watering them more.
  • You can use a general, all-purpose fertilizer around your pansies to help them grow. Be wary of using a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer, as this can result in more foliage than flowers.
  • Remove faded/dead flowers to encourage the plants to produce more blooms and prolong the blooming season. You can either pinch off the flower bud or cut it off just below the faded bud.
pansies purple and yellow pansy flowers
Beautiful pansies are a wonderful addition to any garden!

Types

  • ‘Jolly Joker’ blooms in spring and summer and has orange flowers with deep purple upper petals and a purple outline.
  • The Princess Series offers a variety of colors such as blue, purple, and yellow.
  • The Fama Series flowers in winter and spring and offers a wide variety of single- and mixed-colored flowers.

See 10 pansy varieties and pretty pictures!

Gardening Products

Pests/Diseases

FAQ

How Do You Keep Rabbits From Eating Pansies? 

Place dried sulfur, available at farm and garden supply stores, around the edge of your garden. You could also sprinkle bloodmeal around your pansies after each rainfall; it will also benefit the soil by adding nitrogen. However, don’t try it if you have dogs that roam the garden. They may be attracted to the scent and start digging.

Are pansies annual or perennial?

Most gardeners treat pansies as annuals, but they are technically hardy in USDA Zones 3–8. They may survive winter and bloom again in cool climates.

How much sunlight do pansies need?

Pansies thrive in full sun to partial shade. In hot climates, some afternoon shade helps prevent wilting and prolongs blooms.

How often should I water pansies?

Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, especially during dry spells.

Wit and Wisdom

  • Pansies symbolize “thinking” or “thoughts.” The word “pansy” comes from French pensée, meaning “thought.” Find out more flower meanings here.
  • Pansies are one of several edible garden flowers! They have a mild minty flavor and make for a lovely edible flourish on a salad or dessert.

Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the website companion of The Old Farmer's Almanac. She covers gardening, plants, pest control, soil composition, seasonal and moon c...
Read More from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 05/24/2012 - 13:28
Can I use the seeds to re-plant? Or will they not produce blooming plants? So hybridized?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/29/2012 - 22:03
Yes, you can save some seeds to replant next season as long as it's a pollinated (heirloom) variety of pansies.
<span>Anonymous</span> Wed, 05/02/2012 - 18:25
My pansies grow fast and high. Do I need to wait till the flowers dies to trim them down? If I trim them now, I'll lose all the flowers.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 05/03/2012 - 08:57
Hi, you don't have to wait for the flowers to die. If your pansies have grown too fast, pinch off the top 1 to 3 inches of each growing stem. Use small shears or your fingers. If your pansies are super overgrown, then prune off the top one-third of the plant. Always leave at least 2 sets of leaves on each stem so the plant will grow back. Always water and fertilize after severe pruning. On a regular basis, trim any flowers that seem wilted--cut at the base of the stem. Pinch off any spent blossoms and leaves where they meet the stem.
<span>Anonymous</span> Tue, 05/01/2012 - 11:08
Do deer eat pansies?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/01/2012 - 11:41
If you have deer, try scatting human hair around your plants to deter them. See more suggestions on our deer pest page here: http://www.almanac.com/content/deer
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 05/01/2012 - 11:39
Yes, deer eat pansies and most every flower! However, here are suggestions on plants that are most deer-resistant: http://www.almanac.com/content/deer-resistant-plants
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 04/20/2012 - 14:43
What zone am i in Lethbridge alberta
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 04/20/2012 - 16:52
According to our hardiness zone map found at http://www.almanac.com/content/plant-hardiness-zones you would be in zone 3 and 4. Which means you could certainly try to grow pansies in your area!