Pansies and violas are not only beautiful; they are also signals that spring has arrived. Traditionally pansies were either bold solid colors or the blooms had faces (a splotch of contrasting color). The pansies and violas we grow today have been greatly improved. Now there are dozens of colors, color combinations, bloom sizes and even some distinctive plant habits. Color choices have expanded, too, going well beyond yellow, orange, red, blue and white into gorgeous delicate shades of pink, maroon, gold, primrose yellow and lavender.

Pansies and violas both are in the same genus, Viola. In our climate, pansies are grown as annuals. Violas are either perennial or annual, depending on the hardiness of the specific variety. If you looking for perennial violas, often referred to as violets, be sure to read the tags and do a little research to make sure the variety is hardy. (Some commonly available hardy violets are listed at the end of this information sheet.)

One of the best-known violas is the Johnny-Jump-Up. It is prized for its abundance of small tri-color flowers in a combination of rich purple, creamy white and clear yellow. Plant breeders have crossed Johnny-Jump-Ups with several other viola varieties to give us some amazing variations. As if these plants didn't already have enough to offer, their flowers are edible! Try adding a few blossoms to your fruit plate. You may even see candied violet flowers on a wedding cake or another fancy dessert. The one attribute missing, or nearly missing, from most modern pansies and violas is fragrance. The old-fashioned Sweet Violet, Viola odorata, is not hardy in our climate. But somehow, even without having a fragrance, pansies and violas manage simply to smell like spring.

Pansies and violas are very cold-tolerant plants. Grown outdoors and acclimated, they easily handle temperatures down to the mid 20ºs and keep on blooming. If temperatures drop any lower, existing flower buds may be damaged, but the plants live on. Just like people, these plants need to get used to cold (or hot) temperatures gradually. Plants that are grown outdoors develop naturally as temperatures warm. To get an early start, we grow pansies indoors and move them out as soon as temperatures are warm enough. These plants need to be exposed to the cold gradually to toughen up. This process is called acclimating.

First of all, ask when you buy your pansies if they have already been acclimated. If they are in a greenhouse, they probably haven't been. But some garden centers will keep them outside whenever temperatures allow and only move them in on the coldest nights to protect them. Those plants are acclimated. If you buy pansies straight out of a greenhouse, set them outside in their original containers for a least a week. The first few days, bring them in when temperatures drop below 32º. The next few days, leave them out down to freezing. After about a week, they should be acclimated and you can plant them where you want. If the long range forecast is for moderate temps, you may want to risk planting them out directly. Just be prepared to cover them if the weather changes.

Pansies and violas are fairly easy to grow from seed, but they don't grow quickly. Seeds need to be started 10 to 12 weeks ahead of time and the plants will need to be acclimated. Ideally, pansies and violas like lots of sun in the spring and early summer, but they tend to struggle with too much summer heat. A great setting would be one that gets full sun before the trees are fully leafed out and dappled shade during the summer. Provide a rich, organic, well-drained soil for best results.

Pansies are perfect for growing in containers. They make a great planter by themselves and they combine well with other early spring bloomers, such as sweet alyssum and snapdragons. Tucking a few into a mixed summer planter will give you some early color while the summer plants are filling out.

Pansies have a very fine, fibrous root system. When you ease them out of their pots, the outside of the root ball may be a mat of white roots. Make several shallow cuts through these roots to encourage outward growth. It is also important to plant them at the same depth they were growing. They don't do well when planted any deeper.

Since pansies are cool season annuals, as the summer gets warm, their blooming slows down. Deadheading (removing the spent blooms) will encourage them to bloom longer. When it gets too hot, you can also try cutting them back to within a few inches of the ground; they may fill back out and begin blooming again in fall. Pansies also profit from regular feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer high in phosphorus.

To keep pansies compact, be sure they receive strong light and stay well fertilized. Pansies do very well in fall; often blooming right up until the snow covers them. As a bonus, you may even have a few of them winter in protected locations or during mild winters.

Generally, all the violas sold on the same tables as the pansies are not reliably hardy. Perennial violets are sold in larger containers a little later in the season. But if there is any question, check the tag. If it doesn't give hardiness information, ask a horticulturist. Hardy violets are short-lived perennials. The plants form compact, multi-stemmed clumps with fine, fibrous root systems. Because they have rather small flowers, they are good plants for smaller gardens or in areas that are viewed closely.

Hardy Species Violas
Marsh (a.k.a. Wooly or Wild) Blue Violets Viola cucullata
Varieties: Freckles, Royal Robe, White Czar
Labrador Violets V. labradorica • Bird's Foot Violet V. pedata • Larkspur Violet V. pedatifida
Downy Yellow Violet V. pubescens • Dog Violet V. conspersa • Canada Violet V. Canadensis

©Bachman's 2007