Plant Library

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Other Names:  Winter Pansy, Violet

Group/Class:  Sorbet Series

Brand:  Ball

Description:

A stunning variety presenting incredible deep shades of black and purple with dramatic white halos that immediately command attention; more heat tolerant and cold hardy than other varieties; creates visually captivating containers, or border edgings

Ornamental Features

Sorbet® Phantom Pansy has masses of beautiful deep purple flowers with black overtones, gold eyes and a white flare at the ends of the stems from early spring to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its serrated round leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Sorbet® Phantom Pansy is an herbaceous perennial 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

Sorbet® Phantom Pansy is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Sorbet® Phantom 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. It grows at a fast rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies. However, this variety tends to self-seed and will thereby endure for years in the garden if allowed, although because it is a hybrid, the seedlings may not come true to type. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

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.

Sorbet® Phantom 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 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.