In the Midwest and South, a pansy is used as an annual. Most years a pansy will not overwinter in the Midwest and will not oversummer in the South. In other regions of temperate climate a pansy may be a perennial. Pansy blooms are single with five petals that are rounded in shape. Pansy flowers have one of three basic color patterns.
Blooms can be single, clear color, such as yellow or blue.
A second pattern is a single color having black lines radiating from its center. The last type of flower is probably the one most familiar to home gardeners. The pansy has one of the widest color ranges of any garden annual. Included in the wide color range are red, purple, blue, bronze, pink, black, yellow, white, lavender, orange, apricot and mahogany. The plant itself is compact, not more than 9 inches in both height and spread, and bears many stems.