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Pansy
Viola × wittrockiana
Pansy blooms from March through June.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Pansy
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 8 in tall and 8 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Pansy
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Pansy into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from March to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar.
11 more colors in the Pansies & Violas family
Same family, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Good to know about Pansy
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The flowers are edible with a mild grassy flavor, but nursery pansies are often grown with pesticides that are not food-safe, so eat only home-grown or organic blooms. per University of Minnesota and NC State
When to plant
Planting time is regional: in mild-winter areas set out pansies in fall for winter and spring bloom; in cold regions plant in early spring instead. per Clemson and Iowa State
Melts out in summer heat
Pansies love cool weather and light frost but decline in heat: they stretch leggy, stop flowering, and melt away as summer arrives, then get pulled and replaced. per Iowa State
Deadhead and pinch often
Remove spent flowers and pinch back leggy stems to keep plants compact and blooming: deadheading redirects energy from seed-making back into new flowers. per NC State
Safe for cats and dogs
The ASPCA lists pansies as non-toxic to dogs and cats, so a nibbled leaf or flower is not a poisoning worry. per ASPCA
One watering rule prevents disease
Water at the base in the morning, never overhead or late in the day, and give sharp drainage: the same move stops root rot and leaf diseases. per Clemson and University of Florida
What pairs well with Pansy
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
False Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Joe Pye Weed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 5.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 6.6 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Northern Sea Oats
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Summersweet
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 5.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Rose of Sharon
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; stands well above at 8.2 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Feather Reed Grass
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.