Garden pansy
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In a window box, a flowerpot or brightening up a border, the garden pansy is a perennial favourite.
The garden pansy was first cultivated in the 19th century as a hybrid of multiple Viola species, including the wild pansy (Viola tricolor).
Today, pansies are defined by horticulturalists as large, colourful flowers with a characteristic blotch in the centre of their petals.
As the garden pansy flowers in autumn and winter, they are often used in winter bedding or hanging baskets.
Plant description
The garden pansy is a small, non-woody plant that can reach up to 25cm in height. The leaves are green and heart-shaped, with somewhat jagged edges. The flower is 5 to 8cm across, with two upper petals which overlap, two side petals, and a single, large, bottom petal. The flower can be white, yellow, blue, purple or red, with a darker patch in the centre of the petals.
Plant uses
Cultural
The pansy is used as the symbol for freethought, as the name originates from the French pensée, meaning ‘thought’.
The garden pansy is used as the symbol for humanism, in part because the flower was developed by humans using crossbreeding.
The term pansy has been used since the 1900s as slang for gay men. While it was initially used as a pejorative, it has slowly been reclaimed by some in the gay community as a term of endearment.
Did you know?
The hybrid name wittrockiana is in honour of Swedish botanist Veit Brecher Wittrock.
There are a range of different garden pansy cultivars, including Joker Series, Ultima Morpho Series and Frizzle Sizzle Series.
Find it in our gardens
Kew Gardens
A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.
