Pansy / Viola in Zone 8a & 8b
Viola x wittrockiana
Yes, pansy / viola grows in zones 8a and 8b. Start seeds indoors Dec 31–Jan 7 and plant out Mar 11–Mar 18.
When to plant pansy / viola in zone 8b
Zones 8a and 8b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. It needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.
| Start indoors | Dec 31–Jan 7 |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Mar 11–Mar 18 |
| Estimated bloom | May 15–May 22 (~65 days after transplanting) |
Spacing: 2 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 6-9 in.
Plant alongside it in zone 8b
These go outside within two weeks of pansy / viola in zone 8b, so one planting day can cover them.
- Agrostemma (Corn Cockle)Mar 11–Mar 18
- AstilbeMar 11–Mar 18
- Bachelor's Button (Cornflower)Mar 11–Mar 18
- Bupleurum (Thoroughwax)Mar 11–Mar 18
- CalendulaMar 11–Mar 18
- California PoppyMar 11–Mar 18
Pansies have a reputation as an easy, cheerful bedding flower, which undersells how far ahead of the season you have to start them: seed goes in about 12 weeks before your last frost date, and it needs darkness to germinate, so this isn't a plant you can just scatter on a windowsill and forget. What you're waiting on is a low, 6- to 8-inch plant covered in flat, five-petaled blooms, most with a dark blotch marking that reads as a face, across a wide range of colors. Get through that indoor stretch and pansies more than make up for the wait by tolerating hard frost outdoors.
How pansy / viola fits zone 8's season
Zone 8b's frost-free window runs about 230 days, from March 25 to November 10. Pansy / viola needs about 65 days from transplant to first bloom.
Pansy / Viola planting windows in every zone
Zone 8b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2b | Feb 25–Mar 4 | May 6–May 13 | Jul 10–Jul 17 |
| 3a & 3b | Mar 7–Mar 14 | May 16–May 23 | Jul 20–Jul 27 |
| 4a & 4b | Feb 20–Feb 27 | May 1–May 8 | Jul 5–Jul 12 |
| 5a & 5b | Feb 15–Feb 22 | Apr 26–May 3 | Jun 30–Jul 7 |
| 6a & 6b | Jan 31–Feb 7 | Apr 11–Apr 18 | Jun 15–Jun 22 |
| 7a & 7b | Jan 16–Jan 23 | Mar 27–Apr 3 | May 31–Jun 7 |
| 8a & 8b (your zone) | Dec 31–Jan 7 | Mar 11–Mar 18 | May 15–May 22 |
| 9a & 9b | Nov 23–Nov 30 | Feb 1–Feb 8 | Apr 7–Apr 14 |
| 10a & 10bFall window | Aug–Nov | Oct–Jan | ~65 days after transplanting |
| 11a & 11b | Oct 9–Oct 16 | Dec 18–Dec 25 | Feb 21–Feb 28 |
Bloom dates are about 65 days after the sow or plant-out date, not after starting seeds indoors.
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
Good companions
No well-established companions for pansy / viola.
Where to buy pansy / viola seeds
None of the seed suppliers we list carries pansy / viola seeds right now. A local garden center or a specialty seed house is the place to look.
See why we recommend these suppliers →
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing pansy / viola" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
← Back to the full zone 8b calendar · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →
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Growing Pansy / Viola in USDA zone 8b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a bloom.
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