Viola ×wittrockiana (pansy)

Japanese name: パンジー
Scientific name: Viola ×wittrockiana

[Overview]
A group of hybrid origin, said to have arisen from complex crosses of several species centered on Viola tricolor.
It is a perennial, but it is weak to heat and humidity and often dies before summer, so it is treated as an autumn-sown annual.
The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with 5 petals.
There are many cultivars, with a wide variety of flower sizes and colors.

[History]
From 1813 the British horticulturist Thomson carried out full-scale breeding, and by 1835 there were said to be 400 cultivars.
It is said to have arrived in Japan around 1864, at the end of the Edo period.
Today it is one of the most widely distributed horticultural plants in Japan.

[Cultivation]
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated place.
When planted in the garden, almost no watering is needed.
For potted plants, water when the soil surface dries.
Excess moisture causes disease, so take care.
In addition to base fertilizer, place slow-release fertilizer on the soil once a month while the plant is in flower.
The plant weakens once fruit forms, so if you want to enjoy the flowers for a long time, snap off spent flowers at the base of the plant.
Pests and diseases include gray mold, leaf spot, aphids and slugs.

[Notes]
Because of the way the flowers bloom nodding, the name derives from the French pensée (thought).

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