Favorite Flowers: Pansies

Allergy Index Scale:  1
Hardy Perennial, generally grown as annual, zone 4-8
Full sun, 6 - 9 inches

One of my favorite fall traditions is pansy planting time. Pansies are a classic fall and winter flower for the southern states, in planting zones six through nine. Mine bloom profusely all fall long, off and on in the winter, and then again throughout the spring.  They give me flowers at times when everything else is dormant.  Every winter I've seen them blooming cheerfully in the midst of snow.


I planted pansies the last couple of weeks, to give the plants enough time to establish a strong root system before the hard frost arrives. When soil temperatures go below about 45 degrees, root development is pretty well stopped. Pansies planted with colder soil temperatures will be stunted, and are less likely to survive.

Plant pansies in moist, well-drained soil with plenty of compost.  They can spread up to 9-12 inches and are good for containers, borders, and ground cover.

Pansies like sun and cooler temperatures. Though they are perennial, pansies are generally considered "cool season annuals," because they usually die in the summer heat.  But that doesn't mean to plant them in too much shade, as they flower best with at least 5 hours of sun daily.

When planting, I dig in a layer of a couple of inches of compost, and water thoroughly to help remove air pockets around the roots.  Water pansies regularly. They do best with about an inch of rain a week. I water them occasionally throughout the winter whenever there's a dry spell.  Many times if they aren't doing well, it's due to lack of moisture.

Deadhead your pansies (trim off dying flowers) to encourage more flowers to grow.

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At the top of posts about plants, you will notice the "allergy index scale" rating for each plant I discuss.  The Ogren Plant Allergy Scale rates the allergy potential of a plant, but of course does not indicate whether you or anyone else actually is allergic to it.  In this scale, 1 is the best rating, with the least potential to cause allergic reactions; and 10 is the worst rating, with the most potential to cause allergic reactions. Because pansies are rated 1, as low-allergy as a plant can be, I can enjoy them planted in large groups where ever I wish to plant them.