6 hours of direct sunlight per day, also known as full sun, is perfect for pansies. These short-lived perennials prefer 4–6 hours of sunlight each day. They can tolerate partial shade but it’s better to provide more sun. Be sure to plant pansies somewhere with ample sunlight. This will ensure your garden is filled with beautiful, multicolored blossoms.
How Many Hours of Sun Do Pansies Need?
4-6 hours of direct sunlight is ideal for pansy plants. These beautiful flowers need enough sunlight to ensure they bloom in a wide variety of colors. Pansy flowers are known for their stunning flower color. It would be a shame if they didn’t get the chance to bloom due to lack of sufficient sunlight.
- Give your pansies 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day.
- Make sure your pansies also have acidic soils and are well-watered.
- Choose an east-facing planting to ensure adequate sun and cooler temperatures.
Other things pansies need include fertile soil, cool weather, and balanced fertilizer. Make sure your pansy has access to all these things for ideal growth. Because they grow best in cooler temperatures, consider planting outdoor pansies in east-facing beds. Here, they will receive morning sun but will be shielded from the high temperatures in the afternoon.
Can Pansies Grow in Indirect Sunlight?
Pansies can grow in indirect sunlight which makes them a nice plant for indoor gardens. Be sure to place them somewhere with plenty of access to sunlight. A bright location that receives 6–8 hours of indirect light is ideal for indoor settings.
- Pansies in pots can be grown indoors with indirect sunlight.
- You will need more indirect sunlight (6-8 hours each day) to make up for lack of direct light.
To make up for the lack of direct light, make sure your pansies get abundant sunlight indirectly when growing indoors. Avoid placing them in front of south-facing windows in very hot weather. Glass can magnify heat and dry out your pansies. Growing pansies indoors is the easiest way to protect them from hot weather. Simply place them near well-lit windows that don’t become excessively hot.
Can Pansies Grow in Shade?
Pansies can tolerate partial shade fairly well, especially dappled shade. While full shade will result in poor blooms, most pansy varieties will be fine with some afternoon shade. A bit of additional shade can help pansies make it through the late summer heat.
- Partial or dappled shade is ideal for pansies.
- Provide pansies with morning sun and light afternoon shade for best results.
- Shade can help pansies survive in high heat climates.
Pansies are not heat tolerant and will struggle when temperatures rise above 80℉ (27℃). Their colorful blooms will wilt and die off quickly in the hottest months. However, a bit of dappled shade makes for an ideal solution. This will ward off the worst of the summer heat while still allowing abundant sunshine to reach your pansy flowers.
What Happens if Pansies Don’t Get Enough Sun?
A pansy that doesn’t get enough sun will not be a healthy plant. Undersunned pansies are more susceptible to diseases like root rot. They will also have stunted growth and will struggle to bloom.
- Pansies that don’t get sufficient sun will begin to wilt.
- Wilted plants will not produce flowers.
- If your pansy looks sickly and refuses to flower, increase sunlight exposure.
Ensure that your pansies get enough sun every day to stay healthy. It’s especially critical to make sure they’re getting morning sun. Long shadows might fall over your plants during morning hours that you normally don’t see. Pansies should be planted in a location that stays bright from sunrise until noon.
Can Pansies Get Too Much Sun?
Too much sunlight will result in dead flowers. Pansies can only handle so much light and they are even worse at handling the heat. The solution to this issue is to provide dappled shade as protection from the hot afternoon sun. This is best provided by a nearby tree or bush.
- Pansies will not bloom properly if they receive excess sun.
- Excess heat can dry out and kill pansies quickly.
- If they are exposed to temperatures above 80℉ (27℃), pansies may not bloom.
Without dappled shade in the afternoon, your pansies may be killed off by high temperatures. Heat will evaporate the water from moist soil, creating drought conditions for your flowers. Be sure to keep your pansy well-watered in summer to avoid this issue.
How Much Sun Do Pansies Require?
Pansies do best when they receive 4–6 hours of direct sunlight every day. If they receive less than 4 hours of sun, your pansies will struggle. If they are subjected to more than 6 hours of direct sunlight, your pansies will wilt. The keys to growing pansies indoors or outdoors are:
- Make sure your pansies get full sun (at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day).
- Pansies can grow in indirect sunlight but will need a few extra hours of sunlight each day.
- Pansies tolerate partial shade pretty well—afternoon shade can protect them from heat.
- Insufficient sun will kill off your pansies and prevent blooming.
- Excess sun will dry out pansies and kill them.
Pansies are cool-weather flowers that need sun without extreme heat. Make sure to provide them with ample sunlight in the cool hours of the morning, then shade them from the afternoon heat.
