Ultimate Guide to Pansy Flower Meaning & Symbolism

Pansies are some of the most beautiful and prized garden flowers. These pretty perennials can bring carpets of color to any outdoor space.  In this post, we’ll investigate the various meanings and symbolism of pansy flowers.

About Pansy Flowers

Pansy flowers are traditionally seen as symbols of love – both romantic and platonic. In Victorian floriography, pansies often represented forbidden love between secret lovers.

Family, Genus, and Taxonomy

Pansies are a collection of hybrid flowers with roots in the Viola genus, which is part of the Violaceae family.

Botanical Characteristics

Although technically perennials, pansies have a relatively short lifespan of approximately two years – a bit like biennials. They produce green foliage in their first year and seeds and flowers in the second year.

History & Origin of Pansy Flowers

Before gardeners hybridized them, pansies originated from the wild pansy (V. tricolor) – sometimes known as heartsease.

Popular Types of Pansy Flowers

There are hundreds of pansy cultivars available today, but here are some of the most popular: Pansy ‘Adonis’ Pansy ‘Cat’s Whiskers’ Pansy ‘Joker Series’ Pansy ‘Tiger Eyes’

Etymological Meaning

Pansies get their name from “pensee,” an old French word meaning “to think.” When this word was incorporated into English, it was used as another name for the viola flower.

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