When you take a first look at these flowers, you are surely in for a surprise! If you use your imagination, you would likely see a small face staring back at you! Yup! Pansies are known as flowers with the shapes of a face.
These wonderful flowers are used in many horticultural and medicinal ways. Aside from this, a pansy comes in many flower colors each with its own flower meaning and symbolism. The meaning symbolism of each of the flower colors is quite interesting.
For example, a white pansy means innocence while a pink one represents genuine feelings. Meanwhile, the red pansy symbolizes love and a blue pansy means an internal reflection. Other colors such as purple, yellow, and orange each symbolizes loyalty, emotions, and spiritual healing, respectively.
History of the Pansy Flowers
The word pansy was first used as a floral name in the 15th century. It was derived from two languages. The more recent origin is the French word pensée meaning one’s thoughts. The latter originates from Latin pensane meaning to weigh in or consider. Quite literally, the name pansy translates to consider one’s thoughts or feelings.
Wild pansies are beautiful flowers that have the scientific name Viola tricolor var. It is a perennial plant that is very easy to take care of and is native around European gardens and other places. The genus Viola comprises the Violaceae family with 23 other genera.
In modern times, crossing wild pansies have become the new trend. Most pansies are known to be perennials but given the new hybrids, these flowers can now be annuals or perennials depending on the region. Being an annual or perennial hybrid plant means the flowers bloom the first year or second year after planting.
One popular variety of this flower is known as the Mountain pansy (Viola lutea). Like other pansy varieties, it needs well drained soil and full to partial shade conditions to thrive.
Aside from its hybrids and etymology, there are some other interesting facts about pansies. In earlier times, the pansies had old-folk names wherein some of which have a story to tell. These names include Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, and love-in-idleness.
Symbolism of Pansy Blossoms
Pansies symbolize quite a few interesting things because of its appearance. If you take a closer look, the flowers resemble the face of a small person and because of this, the pansies symbolize innocence and purity.
In ancient and traditional stories, a pansy is represented as an official symbol of love. The kind of love it symbolizes varies. It can be a platonic love, romantic love, forbidden love, or nostalgic love.
Amidst being the perfect flower to bestow upon people in love, it was also sadly a floral component of Ophelia’s dying bouquet. You’d want to think twice now before using these flowers then!
Aside from a pansy that can symbolize love, it is also a symbol of being forgetful. If you hold onto a pansy and turn it upside down, it can cause you to forget something important. Consequently, doing this can symbolize the betrayals that haunt you.
The Pansy blossom is dedicated to Saint Valentine and is the birth flower of the month of February. It embodies happiness and contentment in life and can also symbolize free thinking.
Meaning of Pansy Blooms
The Pansy flower holds with its name several beautiful flower meanings. One deep symbolic meaning behind this flower includes one’s pleasant thoughts or the advice of taking some things into consideration.
In the language of flowers, the Pansy’s delicate features evoke the ideas of tranquil movement and the motion of time and constant change. It also means humble beginnings. Each pansy colors has a different meaning. The color variety for such flowers are soft or vivid colors.
The most common pansy flower colors include blue, white, purple, and red. There are different colors that are not as common such as the pink and almost near-black shade. Although other colors are not as famous as some, the meaning is still very interesting.
Here is the meaning behind each pansy flower color.
What does a White Pansy Flower Mean?
White pansy flowers behold the meaning of being pleasant and innocent. White pansies are also associated with the purity of oneself.
What does a Red Pansy Blossom Symbolize?
Viola flowers with red petals are symbolic of one’s love and burning passion. Red pansies represent the genuine desire for affection and intimacy.
What does a Pink Pansy Bloom Indicate?
The attributes of kindness and modesty are indicated by the display of pink pansy florets. Pink pansies hold true to the pure and genuine feelings of the heart.
What does a Purple Pansy Floret Mean?
Loyalty and acts of gentleness are the hidden meaning behind a purple pansy flower. Purple pansies are symbolic of one’s good intentions and thoughts.
What do Blue Pansy Flowers Represent?
A blue Pansy flower represents the clarity of one’s mind and spirit. Aside from this, blue pansies also show the in-depth internal reflection within you.
What does a Yellow Pansy Flower Symbolize?
You can find yellow as the color of joy and happiness. For pansies, feelings of release are symbolized by yellow Pansies. Upon releasing whatever holds one back, the merry moments of tomorrow are bound to come your way.
The color yellow is most popular associated with the warmth of the sun – and that is what a yellow pansy can symbolize too.
What does an Orange Pansy Flower Mean?
Orange Pansies offer one the surge of inspiration and a sense of mental and spiritual healing.
What is the Biblical Significance of Pansies?
The English folk refers to Pansies as the Herb Trinity. They believed that the original floral colors of yellow, white, and purple represented the Holy Trinity.
According to tales of old, the flowers were admired by people around the world for their fragrance. Filled with grief over the death of the grass around them due to flocked admirers, the blossoms all bowed down to offer a prayer pleading to God to rid them of their admired fragrance. God then heeded their prayer and allowed the flower to remain beautiful and admirable even without the sweet scent.
What is the Cultural Significance of Pansies?
The cultural importance of pansies is seen all over the world with various cultures. For example, in the financial capital of Japan, Osaka honors the Viola blossoms as the state official flower.
Meanwhile, in Northern France, the French associated white Pansy blooms with death and are not to be included in bouquets offered to the living. Besides this, Victorian England used the flowers as a symbol of a secret courting.
The pansy during Victorian times also had its historical significance. During the Victorian era, the pansy flower was popularized in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream play. The pansy in the story was portrayed as love flowers and used in a love potion that referred to the medicinal tonics during the time of ancient Greece.
What are the Folklores Associated with the Pansy?
The other more common name for the Pansies is Heartsease. According to old folklore, it meant merriment and thoughtfulness and was believed to be nodding with deep thought during the beginning of August.
In the realm of love and passion, the Pansy was also referred to by Shakespeare as Cupid’s flower of purple dye. Legend has it that the flower’s petals were originally milky-white until Cupid struck it with his bow and arrow giving it that purple shade. This floral color endowed it with what was said to be magical and spiritual properties.
The magical powers of the flower’s petals had the amazing ability to heal their broken hearts and are used as love potions for hopeless lovers. These flowers were also said to aid with the grief over the loss of a loved one.
What does a Pansy Floral Tattoo Symbolize?
Body art designs beholding Pansy flowers symbolize the cherished memories and acts of remembrance.
Uses of Pansies
Pansies are frequently used as garden container plants for cut flowers for their beautiful display of colors. Those who sow pansies find it quite easy to grow and is a good source of beautiful flowers. It is a great gift to give to someone who you wish a certain kind of love to.
In traditional medicine, the Celtics used the flowers and herbs wrapped together as a tonic for a love potion and as a popular remedy for some ailments. Consequently, pansy tea was a popular tea infusion often used to treat fevers, sore throats, respiratory conditions, and convulsions.
The flowers are also claimed to treat skin ulcers and cancers once steeped into an essential oil. It contains salicylic acid with anti inflammatory properties. Some homemade beauty products for the skin include pansies in their formula because of this compound.
A word of warning that it’s a must to always consult a medical professional before using this plant or any part of it for medical purposes.
See more pansy varieties you can grow.
~ image source: depositphotos/elitov
