PANSIES ARE AS MUCH of a spring staple as bunnies and hidden eggs. But thanks to Ohio State floriculturist Claudio Pasian and research associate Monica Kmetz-González, the tiny flowers will soon begin painting the Midwest autumn with their exquisite palette of red, yellow, white, purple and blue.

Pasian and Kmetz-González have been conducting fall pansy/viola trials since 2000. The purpose of the trials is two-fold: to determine which cultivars perform well through the winter and into spring and to promote the crop among growers and consumers.

"Pansies offer a great variety of colors that you don't usually see in the fall," Kmetz-González said. "And some lines can even bloom during mild winters and well into the summer as spring-planted types do."

Not to mention that gardeners get to color two seasons with the same flower.

"Many cultivars will stay green through the winter and bloom much earlier than spring-planted pansies and even before daffodils and tulips," Pasian said. "Also, their flowers are bigger and more abundant."

Nearly 100 cultivars have been evaluated for flower and foliage quality, as well as uniformity. Many of them are available commercially and make good alternatives to other fall ornamentals, such as mums.

"Growers are very happy about these trials, and they'd love it if the crop becomes popular," Pasian explained. "Increasing demand for fall pansies would give the green industry a boost during the summer when greenhouses are usually empty."

For more information about fall pansies, visit http://floriculture.osu.edu.