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Garden Pansy (Viola ×wittrockia Gams)

Also known as hybrid violet, heart's ease, ladies' delight, stepmother's flower.

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↑Range - Expand

LegendColor
Introduced
Introduced or Not Present

This map is based on our research. We have checked its accuracy to Level 3 ecoregions. Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

This artificial hybrid is widely cultivated in gardens, and occasionally escapes into the wild, where it rarely persists. FSUS marks all the southeastern introductions as waifs, meaning they did not persist, but BONAP reports all of them as persistent populations.

↑Life Cycle

Garden pansies can grow as short-lived perennials under favorable conditions, but in most of North America they are grown as annuals, or on sites sheltered from winter cold such as by mulch or leaf litter, as biennials.

↑Uses

This hybrid is widely planted as a garden ornamental, where it is valued for its bold colors, long bloom time, and for being available in a large number of colors and patterns. They are typically sold in garden centers and replanted every year. In the south, they are often planted in fall and also valued for their winter foliage, but in the north, where conditions are colder, they are typically planted in spring.

This hybrid is usually considered to be a cross of Viola altaica, a species native to Russia, and Viola lutea, native to Europe; both species typically flower yellow, and neither occur in North America.

There are numerous native Viola species and for the most part they are much more vigorous here, as they are better-adapted to the climate of North America.

• Viola X wittrockiana | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)

• Viola x wittrockiana | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)

• Viola × wittrockiana Gams | Plants of the World Online (POWO) (About This Site)

• Viola ×wittrockiana Gams. [altaica × lutea or tricolor] (Hybrid Violet) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)

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