Best Selling Pansy Colors

Pansy 'Matrix Yellow' lays down a heavy coat of color

Pansies are powerful tools we use to paint the early spring landscape. Like a good paint, they are durable in the cold, stand up to harsh weather, keep their color for a long time, and—most importantly—keep costs under control. Pansies are unmatched when it comes to value per square foot—they deliver dense strokes of color at an affordable price and that’s important when there’s a lot of ground to cover. So, what color should you apply? Strong color trends and preferences exist inside the category and we look at them today.

Pansy ‘Panola Beaconsfield’ is our favorite intriguing color

Also important is the range of colors and styles available in the Pansy genre, from the simple to the complex. Our large collection includes a number of different styles encompassing blotch, jewel tones, graduated colors, whiskered, and jump up types. In addition, we have some fancy blooms with shades that melt into one another or jump from flower to flower.

Pansy ‘Delta Premium Pure Yellow’ is the Pepsi to 'Matrix Yellow'

The most popular color, yellow, is the obvious one. Yellow works well because it is such a strong beacon. The color contrasts highly against the dark green foliage, so the yellow transmits both far and fast. Cars notice it and people notice it—there is nothing shy about this choice. Clients feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth when they walk past it.

‘Matrix Yellow’ has long been the traditional American choice for landscapes because of its nice big round yellow flowers with no faces to impede the vibrant color. It is devoid of reversion problems and has a nice tuft of plant underneath. For years this variety has been the default for many early spring landscapes and the yardstick by which other Pansies have been measured. Its direct competitor is ‘Delta Premium Pure Yellow’. For a slightly different look, ‘Delta Premium Yellow Blotch’ adds the classic Pansy face to the color.

Matrix Amber Mix is our best-selling yellow Pansy mix

After yellow comes the mixes. We’ve already discussed the surge in mixes over the last few years and Pansies are included in that groundswell. For efficiency and convenience, it’s hard to beat a mix. One of our top sellers is Matrix Amber Mix, which blends orange, yellow, and cream shades together for a dappled look that is still a strong beacon of color. Another top seller is Majestic Giant II Formula Mix with a combination of bright festive colors that have smiling blotched faces.

Pansy ‘Matrix Ocean’ is neither dark nor light—it’s a mid-lavender

Cool tones like blues and purples follow the yellows and mixes. 

We are personally fond of the clean, clear colors of ‘Delta Premium True Blue’—a real blue in our book. We also like the dramatic ‘Matrix Purple’, so dark that it is nearly black, and 'Crown Azure' for its light blue-lavender shade. We use the classic solids to block out color stripes within designs, alternating them with vibrant yellow. This technique does a good job of showcasing the contours of the landscape.

Among the Pansy faces ‘Matrix Ocean’ is a good choice for close-up gardens, as a specimen, or combined with a vine basket or some charming pottery. The flowers are large and the petals have a subtle texture that reward more intimate settings.

Pansy ‘Matrix Rose Blotch’ sometimes has a face and sometimes doesn’t

Surprisingly, reds and oranges come in behind those cool tones. Yellow certainly steals their thunder, but we see genuine finds within these shades. The face comes and goes among the blossoms of ‘Matrix Rose Blotch’, whereas the color just skips around the blooms of ‘Delta Fire’. Technically ‘Delta Fire’ is a tri-color Pansy but the colors move around so much that people mistake it for a mix. This look is especially effective in mass plantings.

Among the clear Pansies ‘Matrix Deep Orange’ is used for its vibrant colors and ‘Delta Pure Red’ for its deep, deep red. For intimate settings ‘Matrix Sunrise’ delivers the most sophisticated rewards.

Pansy ‘Delta Fire’ is the snowflake of the fire colors—no two blossoms are alike

One of the reasons we respect the Pansy so much is that it works equally well in both fast- and slow-viewing gardens. We use the solids to paint big stripes or blocks across the landscape, and they shoot out a bright beam that can be seen from any distance by passing motorists. At the same time we can turn around and set up a charming Spring Basket with tints that play off their companions. In little corners or tiny spaces, a Pansy can scale down and whisper its charms. We don’t know very many genera that have this ability. This is why we believe every designer, novice or experienced, should have Pansies loaded into their toolbox of solutions.

Pansy ‘Delta Premium True Blue’ really comes out blue

Our Pansies are available in the following sizes: 1801L flat; 1203 flat; 306 basket; 6-inch pot; 8-inch pot, and 10-inch color bowl. Spreading Pansies come in the 6-inch and 8-inch pot sizes and the 10-inch hanging basket.

‘Delta Premium Yellow Blotch’ is the classic childhood Pansy

For a complete listing of our current Pansy line and sizes please refer to the Availability section of our web site.