Pansies: Planting, Growing, and Care for Cool-Season Color

Majestic purple pansy taken in Spring 2005

Judy Conner

Pansies are the colorful flowers with "faces." They offer one of the widest color ranges and excel in containers, borders, and ground covers. Treated as annuals due to leggy growth, they're hardy in cool weather.

Planting Pansies

• Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before transplanting.
• Plant seeds in late winter for spring/summer bloom, or in summer for winter flowering.
• Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Pansies like sun and cool temperatures.
• Space 7–12 inches apart. They spread 9–12 inches and grow 6–9 inches tall.

Care

• Water regularly—this is the #1 reason pansies fail. If struggling, water more.
• Apply general all-purpose fertilizer to support growth.
• Deadhead faded flowers to prolong blooming and encourage more blooms.

Pests and Diseases

• Mosaic viruses
• Downy mildew
• Powdery mildew
• Crown and root rot
• Rust
• Gray mold
• Spot anthracnose
• Slugs, snails, and aphids

Recommended Varieties

• Jolly Joker — spring/summer bloom, orange flowers with deep purple upper petals and purple outline.
• Princess Series — variety of colors: blue, purple, yellow.
• Fama Series — winter/spring flowering, wide range of single and mixed colors.

Wit & Wisdom

• Pansies symbolize thoughts. Discover more flower meanings.
• Pansies are edible! Mild mint flavor.