Pansy Flower (Viola x wittrockiana) – Flowering plants

Pansy Flower (Viola x wittrockiana) is a most popular, evergreen herbaceous perennial bedding plant for cool weather. It can grow up to 6 to 8 inches in height with a similar spread. It has ovate to elliptic medium to dark green leaves. Velvety blossoms in a rich range of colors have made pansy plants long-time favorites. Those charming pansy “faces” are made up of 5 flat petals, 2 top, 2 sides, and 1 lower petal. Commonly, 2 or 3 colors are seen on each flower. The side and bottom petals often have contrasting blotches or veins radiating from the center of the bloom. Blooms come in a wide variety of colors including various shades of blue, purple, red, rose, yellow, apricot, brown-red, white and bi-colors, often with contrasting blotching or central markings.

Scientific Name: Viola x wittrockiana
Common Names: Pansy, Pansy Violet.

Scientific classification:

Family: Violaceae
Genus: Viola

How to grow and maintain Pansy Flower (Viola x wittrockiana):

Light:
It thrives best in bright light to full sun. Partial shade prolongs plant viability into late spring but reduces flower numbers.

Soil:
It grows well in rich, moist but well-drained soil.

Water:
Water regularly, always Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy and water very sparingly during winter.

Temperature:
It thrives best in cool to average room temperatures 60°F – 75°F / 16°C – 24°C. Pansies like cold better than heat, even tolerating a little frost.

Humidity:
It prefers moderate, around 40-50% relative humidity. Place pot on a tray of wet pebbles to increase humidity. Don’t mist them indoors because pansies are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize every two weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation:
It can be propagated by seed. Sow pansy seeds in early spring. Drop them on top of the moist potting mix, then barely cover them with the mix. Seeds will germinate at room temperature. Do not expose them to sunlight until they have sprouted.

Pests and Diseases:
It has no serious pest or disease problems. Sometimes susceptible to fungal leaf diseases. Watch for aphids, glasshouse red spider mite, violet gall midge, slugs, and snails.