Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Winter Pansy, Fanleaf Violet

Description:

This exceptional variety has foliage quite unlike any other violet; clumps of pointy maple shaped leaves with pewter-silver veins; effective visually in the garden all season long; a terrific edging for the shady border or rock garden

Ornamental Features

Dancing Geisha Pansy has masses of beautiful nodding white flowers with violet falls at the ends of the stems from mid to late spring, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive serrated round leaves remain dark green in colour with distinctive silver veins throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Dancing Geisha Pansy is an herbaceous annual with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Self-Seeding

Dancing Geisha Pansy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Dancing Geisha Pansy will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 8 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 6 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 5 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Dancing Geisha Pansy is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.