Pansies (Violax wittrockiana) thrive in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. These cheery flowers prefer cool weather and often die in the summertime heat. As a biennial, new plants form in late summer or fall, when the seeds are dispersed, and bloom the following year, leading many to assume they are perennials. Flower colour runs the gamut from pale pastels to deep blue, maroon and purple.

Clear Faced Pansy

Like most of pansies, the solid colored pansy blossom consists of five petals ordered with 2 upper petals and three overlapping fishes under. These pansies may feature little variances in colour intensity, but don’t have the characteristic “face” related to other varieties of pansies. Solid or plain pansies vary in colour from white and pastels to rich hues of yellow, orange or blue.

Pencil Lined Pansy

Pencil lined pansies are characterized by the appearance of pencil lines — which range from gray to black — radiating from the middle of the blossom. Petal colour ranges from solid pastels to brilliant bicolor and tricolor blossoms. These delicate flowers are not as daring as the monkey-faced varieties, but produce a splash of unassuming shade in the garden vandalism or bed.

Monkey-Faced Pansies

The monkey-face pansy includes dark centers to the petals that provide the impression of a face. The centers may be dark blue or purple or might be a darker colour of the petal shade. Petal colour ranges from pale pastels to rich hues of the rainbow. These traditional pansies highlight the garden with what appears to be cherry uplifted faces. Many prefer to plant monkey-faced pansies in window boxes and planters to welcome visitors and brighten the landscape.

Multicolored Pansies

Bi- and also tri-colored pansies often produce sharp contrasts between the individual colours, but might contain two or more hues of the identical colour. Multicolored pansies may fall into any category from solid to striking monkey face pansies and are prized because of their color variations. Pansies are one of the few flowers which make true blue blooms.

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