Herb of the Month: Wild Pansy (Viola tricolor)
March 19, 2025
By Rick Bogusch
Another herb making an appearance early in the season is wild pansy or heartsease (Viola tricolor). Progenitor of the pansy we buy at supermarkets and garden centers, wild pansy starts blooming in earliest spring.
At Bridge Gardens, you’ll find it in the Herb Garden’s culinary, ornamental and medicinal beds. Its flowers are edible; it has a long history of use to relieve heart and lung problems and its purple, yellow and white flowers are a cheerful harbinger of the growing season to come. You’ll also find wild pansy in the Vegetable Garden, where it has self-sown readily.
Rick Bogusch
Garden Director, Bridge Gardens
rbogusch@peconiclandtrust.org