Pansies and Violas – Spring Flowering Favorites!

Quick true or false:  All Pansies are Violas, but not all Violas are Pansies.
Answer at the bottom of this blog – no cheating!

For many gardeners, it’s all about that need for spring color – even after a milder-than-normal winter! What signals the arrival of spring? You guessed it – Pansies and Violas. Looking for immediate gratification? Pansies and Violas easily add color and beauty to garden and landscape beds, and containers and planters. One look at their happy faces, and you’re smiling as they are smiling back at you!

So how do you differentiate between pansies and violas? Here’s a quick snapshot of what to look for:

Violas

• Flowers are smaller
• 5 petals – 2 petals up, 3 petals down
• Edible
• More tolerant of cold and heat
• Replace each spring
• Overall plant smaller in size
• Fewer flower color choices
• Deadheading generally not needed

Pansies

• Flowers are larger
• 5 petals – 4 petals up, 1 petal down
• Edible
• Less tolerant of cold and heat
• Replace each spring
• Overall plant larger in size
• More flower color choices
• Deadheading needed

The answer:  True. All Pansies are Violas!