Pansies: how to choose them well in 4 points?

According to the colour of the flowers

From snow white to velvety black, from pure yellow to lavender blue, and from orange to red and pink, pansies come in an infinite palette of colours, often combining several hues on a single flower.

White Pansies

Some pansies offer immaculate white, perfect for softening or brightening a flower bed or pot. The ‘Matrix White’ pansy has the advantage of blooming early and for a long period, from February to July. The ‘Cool Wave White’ trailing pansy produces flowers that generously cascade over the edges of pots, while the ‘Matrix White’ pansy or the more subtle ‘Sorbet XP F1 White’ horned violet stand tall in a planter or at the edge of a flower bed. All three display a small yellow heart.

Blue Pansies

Blue pansies bring a soothing touch, deep like the ‘Carrera Blue With Blotch’ pansy with its large 6 cm flowers of deep blue speckled with black, or lighter like the ‘Blue Moon’ pansy with its flowers blending lavender blue, pale yellow, and cream. The ‘Inspire Metallic Blue Blotch’ pansy is also, with its gradient of blue, a delight for the eyes.

Purple Pansies

From light mauve to deep violet, pansies display lovely shades. The ‘Sorbet Blackberry’ horned violet is fascinating with its small flowers of silky purplish hue, made more intense by a touch of black. The ‘Matrix F1 Lavender’ pansy offers a romantic note with its lavender tones, from the lightest to the deepest, highlighted by fine dark stripes and a yellow heart.

Pink Pansies

In a romantic flower bed, pink pansies are perfect. They come in various shades of pink, from light to dark. The ‘Bimbo Lips’ medium-flowered pansy features flowers with bicoloured petals, pale pink and garnet pink, adding a touch of delicacy. The ‘Matrix Rose’ pansy boasts a more intense solid pink.

Red Pansies

Pansies also come in red hues, adding warm touches to flower beds and pots. The ‘Sorbet Xp Red’ horned violet offers a velvety red with brown undertones, while the ‘Cool Wave Raspberry’ trailing pansy displays a raspberry red mixed with violet and white.

Orange Pansies

If you love orange, pansies offer intense and indulgent tones like the ‘Matrix Orange Deep’ pansy or the ‘Sorbet XP Deep Orange’ horned violet which will create beautiful contrasts with blue flowers.

Yellow Pansies

Yellow is one of the most common colours in pansies, along with blue and violet. From the solid light lemon of the ‘Cool Wave Lemon’ trailing pansy to the pure yellow striped with fine black whiskers of the ‘F1 Penny Yellow’ horned violet, through the bicoloured charm of the ‘Prim up Felix Mandarin’ medium-flowered pansy, here is a beautiful palette to brighten your flower beds with golden touches.

Black Pansies

Rare, the colour black is also present among pansies and adds an elegant and sophisticated touch, like the ‘F1 Sorbet Black Delight’ horned violet.

Multicoloured Pansies

Finally, if you love a mix of colours, multicoloured pansies are for you. From the ‘F1 Kitty Surprise’ horned violet with its petals of purple, yellow, and white, to the ‘Carrera Autumn Berries’ pansy in warm autumn hues, the colour combinations range from contrasting to nuanced play.

Pansies ‘Matrix White’, ‘Matrix Orange Deep’ and horned violet ‘F1 Kitty Surprise’

According to the shape of the flowers

The flowers of pansies are recognised by their five petals: one at the bottom, two on the sides, and two at the top. While some see a little face, others find that the flowers of pansies resemble the wings of a butterfly. Pansies mostly have single flowers with smooth-edged petals, but some feature double flowers, as well as uniquely undulating petals. These varieties add a fresh touch to displays.

Smooth or undulating petals

Most often, pansies have smooth-edged petals, as seen in the Goliath F1 pansies with very large flowers. Sometimes, the petals exhibit slight undulations like those of the Viola ‘Etain’, a hybrid of the horned violet developed in England. They can also take on the appearance of true frills, as seen in the undulating flower pansy ‘Farandole’. Undulating petals bring a unique and original note to a border, a bed, or a pot.

Single or double flowers

While most pansies have single flowers, some produce double flowers, with additionally original undulating petals. This is the case with the Ruffles Purple White Rim pansy, featuring 7 cm flowers tinted in purple, violet, mauve, white, and black, as well as the spectacular double large flower pansy ‘Ruffles Dark Heart’ with multicoloured flowers measuring 8 cm.

Viola ‘Etain’, ‘Farandole’ and ‘Ruffles Dark Heart’

According to the size of the flowers and their use

Measuring between 10 and 20 cm in height, pansies are compact plants that can be used equally well on a balcony, in a flower bed, or in a border. Some have smaller flowers like horned violets (Viola cornuta), while others boast larger flowers like garden pansies. Their use depends on the desired visual effect: a natural style or a more pronounced one.

Delicate small flowers

In a natural style, at the front of a flower bed, in a planter, or in a woodland setting, small horned violets (Viola cornuta) are perfectly suited, such as the delicate horned violet ‘Butterfly Violet Antique’ with 3 cm flowers.

Large flowers

For a more pronounced presence in a flower bed, border, or pot, larger pansies can be preferred, with flowers of 6 cm like those of the medium-flowered pansy ‘Prim up Felix Mandarin’ or the very large-flowered pansies ‘Hercule’ with 9 cm flowers.

Horned violet ‘Butterfly Violet Antique’, pansies ‘Prim up Felix Mandarin’ and ‘Hercule’

According to the habit

While most pansies have an upright habit, making them easy to use in borders, beds, and containers, some are trailing and create beautiful cascades of flowers in a pot, hanging basket, or even a rockery. This is the case for example of the ‘Cool Wave Purple Wing’ trailing pansy that spills over pots with great lightness. Trailing pansies are also a lovely idea for decorating a trough or an old stone well.