Pansies are a hybrid of many different viola species, so botanically they are a type of viola plant. Although pansies look a lot like violas (see: 8 Annual Violas to Grow in Your Garden), they have larger flowers and can be found in a greater array of colors. Another way to tell the difference is by the petals. All members of the Viola genus have five-petaled flowers, but pansy blooms have four petals pointing up and one pointing down, while violas have two petals up and three down.