Pansy
Pansy, a garden flower. Its three-petaled blossom, with dark center markings, somewhat resembles a wistful human face. The name comes from pensée, a French word meaning “thought.” The English call it heartsease ("heart's ease"). The flowers, each from one to three inches (2.5 to 7.5 cm) across, appear in a wide variety of colors and are mildly fragrant. The plant grows about six inches (15 cm) tall and usually is cultivated as an annual. It grows best in moist, cool soil.
The pansy is Viola tricolor hortensis, a variety of the European violet. It belongs to the family Violaceae.