Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) are popular cool-weather annuals or biennials prized for their cheerful blooms that provide color in early spring and fall. While pansies are prolific bloomers, their flowering cycle is finite unless a gardener intervenes. Deadheading involves the removal of faded or spent flowers. This maintenance task manipulates the plant’s natural life cycle to yield a longer and more abundant display of color.
The Primary Reason to Remove Spent Blooms
A flowering plant’s biological directive is to reproduce by producing seeds. Once a pansy flower is pollinated and fades, the plant redirects its metabolic energy—stored carbohydrates and nutrients—away from producing new flowers and toward developing the seed pod. This shift signals that the plant has successfully completed its reproductive purpose.
Removing the spent bloom, along with the developing ovary and seed pod, interrupts this natural reproductive cycle. This action “tricks” the pansy into perceiving that it has failed to produce seeds for species survival. The plant responds by channeling its energy back into the production of new flower buds. This mechanism ensures a continuous flush of blooms over a longer season.
Simple Steps for Deadheading Pansies
Deadheading pansies should be done regularly, ideally every few days, to stay ahead of seed formation. The process can be accomplished using two methods: pinching with your fingers or using small, sharp snips. Precision is important to ensure the entire developing seed structure is removed.
To deadhead correctly, trace the stem of the spent flower, known as the peduncle, down to where it meets the foliage or a set of healthy leaves. The entire stalk must be removed at this point, just above the next leaf node or a visible new bud. Plucking off the withered flower head and leaving the stem behind will not achieve the desired energy redirection. Leaving the bare stem allows the plant to continue expending energy on non-productive tissue.
Consequences of Allowing Pansies to Go to Seed
If a pansy retains its faded flowers, the plant transitions into its energy-intensive seed-setting phase. This process draws resources away from the development of new blooms. The result is a decrease in the number of flowers produced, and any new blooms that appear are often smaller.
When the reproductive cycle takes precedence, the plant’s growth habit changes, often becoming “leggy” or “scraggly.” The stems stretch out as the plant focuses on seed dispersal rather than maintaining a compact, bushy form. While some varieties may self-seed, these volunteer plants often revert to the characteristics of a wild ancestor, resulting in smaller flowers that do not match the parent hybrid.