Common name: Pansy, Ladies Delight
Family: Violaceae, Violet
Height x width: 4-12" x 6-12"
Growth rate: slow to moderate
Foliage: basal rounded, cordate; stem ovate or lanceolate crenate-dentate; 1 1/2- 2" long
Flowers: irregular, usually 2 or 3 colors with "smiling face" pattern, 1-2" wide
Hardiness: annual, often self-sows
Soil: moist, fertile, well-drained
Light: sun to part shade
Pests and problems: crown rot, leaf spots, stem rot, slugs
Landscape habit, uses: massing, edging, containers; popular early spring annual in the north, fall annual in the south
Other interest: genus name from Latin for violet, common name from old French for "thought"; popular through centuries with lore attached; popular as cut flower in Victorian period
Other culture: cool-season annual, prefers cool temperatures for best bloom; remove old flowers for longest bloom; space 6-8" apart for small-flowered cultivars (2-2½" wide), 8-10" apart for medium-flowered (2½-3½" wide) and 10-12" apart for large-flowered (3½-4" wide)
Propagation: seed (20,000 seeds per ounce) sown 12 weeks before planting out, chill seeds at 40ºF one week before sowing, geminate at 65ºF, grow on at 50ºF
Species:
tricolor (tri' color)--Johnny Jump-Up, purple or blue and yellow in various patterns, flowers under 1" across and plants unde 6" tall, self-sows readily
x williamsii (wil-lee-am-see' ii)--only one cultivar of note, new in 1997: 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'-- 1 1/2" flowers open white turning blue then finishing dark blue, early uniform, heat tolerant
x wittrockiana (witt-rock-ee-aa' nah)--primary bedding species; flowers of one color refered to as "clear" and with bicolor pattern as "blotched"
Most species are perennial, at least to zones 6-8, with most perennial
cultivars hybrids among species and classifield into 10 groups.
Cultivars: (of x wittrockiana, colors available separately
in series, each series usually has a mix; some mixes are selections from
various series; table below refers to flower traits)
| Cultivars | pattern | width | colors, other | |
| Accord series | both | 2½-3" | 14 colors, sturdy, many blooms | |
| 'Antique Shades' | blotched | 3" | apricot to rose mix, orange blotch | |
| 'Azure Blue' | clear | 2-2½" | blue to light blue edges | |
| 'Baby Lucia' | clear | 1½" | sky blue, 6" mound plant, cold tolerant | |
| 'Ball Giant Mix' | both | 3½-4" | Swiss Giants and similar, not adaptable | |
| Bingo series | both | 3½" | flowers face up | |
| 'Black Devil' | clear | 2" | black, RHS winner | |
| 'Blue Shades' | clear | 2½" | lavenders, blues, yellow eyes | |
| Blues Jam' | both | 2-3" | blue shades and bicolors | |
| 'Brunig' | blotched | 2½" | dark purple, yellow edge | |
| 'Clear Sky Primrose' | clear | 2½" | yellow | |
| 'Color Festival' | blotched | 3½-4" | like Swiss Giants, not heat tolerant | |
| 'Colossal Mix' | blotched | 3½-4" | 14+ colors, syn. Super Majestic Giant Mix | |
| Crown series | clear | 4" | 9 colors | |
| Crystal Bowl series | clear | 2½" | 9 colors, early, many flowers, heat tolerant | |
| 'Delft' | blotched | 2½" | blue and white, yellow eyes | |
| Delta series | both | 3" | 14 colors, early, low, compact, adaptable | |
| 'Fama See Me' | blotched | 2¾" | purple edge and blotch with white between | |
| 'Floral Dance' | clear | 2½" | 4 colors, cold tolerant | |
| 'Golden Champion' | clear | 2-3" | golden yellow | |
| Happy Face series | blotched | 2½" | 6 colors | |
| Imperial series | both | 3-3½" | 13 colors, uniform, heat tolerant | |
| 'Joker Pokerface' | blotched | 2¼" | orange, black blotch, purple edge, 6" tall | |
| Joker series | clear | 2-3" | bicolors, better in North | |
| 'Jolly Joker' | blotched | 2½-3" | orange, purple bicolor,1990 AAS | |
| 'Lac de Zurich' | clear | 3" | azure blue | |
| 'Love Duet' | blotched | 2½" | mahogany blotches on creamy white | |
| Majestic Giant series | blotched | 4" | 7 colors, long bloom | |
| 'Masterpiece' | clear | 2½" | blue, purple, bronze ruffled, not adaptable | |
| Maxim series | blotched | 2½" | 13 colors, heat tolerant | |
| Melody series | both | 2-2½" | 15 colors, dwarf, early | |
| 'Padparadja' | clear | 2" | intense orange, named for orange sapphire | |
| 'Paper White' | clear | 3½" | white, yellow eye, not adaptable | |
| 'Pastel Butterflies' | blotched | 3" | pastel colors, ruffled wavy edges | |
| 'Pink Shades' | blotched | 2½" | pink to white, pink blotches | |
| 'Queen of the Planets' | blotched | 3½" | early, large dark blotches | |
| 'Rainbow Mix' | blotched | 2-2½" | 5 colors, not heat tolerant | |
| Rally series | both | 2" | flowers face up | |
| Regal series | blotched | 4" | 4 colors, similar to Crowns | |
| 'Rhine Gold' | blotched | 2½" | yellow, black blotch | |
| 'Rippling Waters' | clear | 2½" | dark purple, edged white | |
| Roc series | both | 2½-3½" | ||
| 'Rococo Mix' | blotched | 2¼" | frilled edges, veining | |
| 'Romeo and Juliet Mix' | blotched | 2½" | pastels, orange blotches, ruffled edges | |
| Rose series | blotched | 3-4" | reds, pinks | |
| 'Rosy Cheeks' | blotched | 2½" | pink, rose and white mix | |
| 'Rosy Morn Shades' | blotched | 2½" | yellow, rose, red combinations | |
| 'Royal Mix' | both | 3" | from Crown and Regal series | |
| 'Silver Princess' | blotched | 3" | light yellow, brick blotch | |
| 'Silver Wings' | blotched | 2½" | purple lower, white upper | |
| 'Spanish Sun' | clear | 2½" | tangerine orange | |
| 'Spring Magic Moonlight' | clear | 2½" | creamy lemon | |
| Springtime series | clear | 2½" | uniform, heat tolerant | |
| 'Super Chalon Giants' | blotched | 3" | blotches with veins, wavy, ruffled | |
| Swiss Giant series | blotched | 3½" | 6 colors | |
| 'T&Ms Black Pansy' | clear | 2½" | black, yellow eye | |
| 'T&M Spring Giants' | both | 3" | bright colors, early | |
| 'True Blue' | clear | 3½" | light blue shades, like Swiss Giants | |
| 'Ullswater Blue' | blotched | 2½" | gentian blue, black blotch | |
| 'Ultima Mix' | both | 2½" | mix of 26 varieties, 6" high and wide plants | |
| 'Ultima Silhouette Mix' | both | 2½" | pastel mix, soft blotches, 6" high and wide | |
| Universal series | both | 2½" | 18 colors, early, multiflora, heat tolerant | |
| 'Velour Clear Blue' | clear | 2" | blue, small | |
| 'Vernale Cassis Shades' | blotched | 2½" | purple, white variously bicolored | |
| 'Water Colors Mix' | both | 2-3" | many colors | |
| 'Wink Purple and White' | clear | 2-2½" | separate purple, white petals | |
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