When Can You Plant Pansies in Minnesota?

Spring

• In Minnesota, pansies are the first annual flower available at garden centers each spring. Although you will see pansies for sale as early as March, April is generally the safest month to plant them. In northern Minnesota, mid to late April is soon enough to plant this annual. Pansies that have been "hardened off" -- that is, accustomed to cool temperatures for several days after leaving the greenhouse -- will tolerate night temperatures into the low 20s.

Autumn

• Pansies do not tolerate hot summer temperatures and rarely thrive in July and August. Many gardeners discard the pansies planted early in the spring and plant new ones in September. These provide color long after heat-loving annuals have succumbed to frost.

Winter Pansies

• Recently garden centers have marketed "winter" or "arctic" pansies in the fall. These are varieties that are particularly cold-hardy and when planted in the ground (as opposed to pots), will often survive the winter and bloom the next spring.