Ornamental · Goodeniaceae
Fan Flower
Scaevola aemula
Hand it full sun and quick-draining soil, and fan flower keeps trailing blue blooms right up until frost arrives.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
64–95°F · 18–35°C
USDA 10–11
Overview
The name says it all: each little bloom opens as a one-sided fan, and the flowers line up along stems that spill and trail. Fan flower grew up wild in Australia, so it comes to the garden already tough and heat-tolerant, ready to settle into beds, borders, or a hanging basket by the door. Look for cool blues, soft violets, and the occasional pink, and expect them to keep coming right through the season. If you have never grown it before, this is a kind plant to start with.
Most gardeners treat it as a warm-season annual, and that is a perfectly happy way to grow it. It is a tender perennial deep down, hardy only in zones 10 and 11, so nearly everywhere else it goes out in spring and gives its all until the first frost. There is no pressure to overwinter it or fuss over it for years, since one generous summer is exactly what it was built for.
Once it settles in, fan flower asks for very little. Full sun, soil that drains, and a steady feed cover almost everything, and because the flowers tidy themselves, you never have to pick off the faded ones. The one habit to watch is soggy soil, since wet feet are the thing it truly dislikes. Ease up on the water and most early stumbles turn around on their own.
Care
The short version: give it full sun and well-drained soil, water when the top of the soil feels dry, and offer a balanced feed every couple of weeks while it is growing.
Light
Fan flower blooms best in full sun, so give it the brightest spot you can. A little afternoon shade is fine and it will forgive you for it, but a plant tucked into deep shade tends to stretch and flower only here and there.
Water
Plan to water every 3 to 7 days during the growing season, letting the top of the soil dry out before you fill the can again. Fan flower shrugs off a short dry stretch far more easily than it handles standing wet, so when you are unsure, it is safer to wait a day.
Soil
Set it in average, well-drained loam with a little organic matter mixed in. It is relaxed about pH and will take anything from 6.0 to 8.0, so what really matters is that water moves through and never lingers around the roots.
Temperature
This is a warmth lover, most content between 64°F and 95°F (18°C to 35°C), and summer heat never bothers it. Frost is the one line it cannot cross, which is exactly why cooler regions grow it as an annual and let it shine for the season.
Humidity
Everyday outdoor humidity suits it just fine, so there is no target number to chase. It even takes a muggy, humid summer in stride without complaint.
Feeding
Offer a balanced liquid fertilizer roughly every two weeks while the plant is growing, and it will keep the flowers coming. Steer clear of high-phosphorus blends, which fan flower would rather do without.
Pruning
There is barely any pruning to do here. If a plant starts to stretch, pinch back the leggy stems to bring it back to a full, tidy shape, and since the flowers clean up after themselves, the deadheading shears can stay in the drawer.
Size & spacing
Expect plants to reach about 9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm) tall and to spread 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm) across. That easy, trailing width is what lets them tumble so gracefully over the lip of a basket or the edge of a low wall.
When to plant
Fan flower loves warmth and gives up at the first frost, so in most gardens it earns its keep as a summer annual. Start seed indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, then wait to move plants outdoors until the soil has warmed to 65°F (18°C). From there the flowers carry on from summer all the way to frost, and there is plenty of that show to enjoy.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date
- Plant: In spring after the last frost when soil temperatures reach 65°F (18°C)
- Harvest: Summer through first frost
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 10–11
Temperature: down to -1°C
Troubleshooting
Fan flower is forgiving, and nearly all of its troubles come down to too much water or too little sun. The good news is that the plant tells on itself early, through its roots, stems, and flowers, so you usually have time to step in before anything serious sets in. Find the picture below that matches yours, then make the small change it calls for.
Wilting, yellow leaves, and soft brown roots
When the leaves wilt and yellow and the roots turn soft and brown, you are looking at root rot, and it nearly always begins with soil that stays wet too long. Roots that can never dry out simply run out of air and start to break down. Ease off the watering, sort out the drainage or shift the plant into a fast-draining mix, and let go of any plant that has already collapsed. The rest usually recover once their feet dry out.
Fix:
- Reduce watering frequency
- Improve drainage or replant into well-drained media
- Remove severely affected plants
Cottony white fluff and a sticky film on the stems
Those cottony little tufts gathering where the leaves meet the stems are mealybugs, small sap-suckers that leave a sticky film as they feed. Knock them loose with a firm spray of water, then dab whatever remains with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Give a quick look to any new plant before it joins the others, and leave enough space between plants so air can move freely.
Fix:
- Wash off with a strong spray of water
- Spot-treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
Few flowers on long, floppy stems
Sparse flowers and long, weak stems usually mean too little light or too little feeding. A plant sitting in shade, or one that has gone hungry, stretches out with wide gaps between its leaves and skimps on blooms. Move it into full sun, feed it steadily through the season, and pinch those leggy stems to coax fresh, branching growth.
Fix:
- Move to a full-sun location
- Fertilize regularly during the growing season
- Pinch back leggy stems to encourage branching
Toxicity
Here is a relief for pet owners and parents alike: fan flower is not toxic. Nothing in its leaves or flowers will poison a cat, a dog, a rabbit, a bird, a grazing animal, or a child, so you can hang a basket by the door or fill a bed the dog wanders through and simply enjoy it.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats are safe around fan flower. A curious nibble will not poison one, though any plant eaten in large amounts can leave a cat with a briefly upset stomach.
Dogs None
Dogs have nothing to fear from it either. At worst, a chewed stem might bring on some mild, short-lived tummy trouble that passes on its own.
Horses Safe
Horses can graze right beside it without harm, since fan flower carries nothing that is poisonous to them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are perfectly fine around the foliage, and a stray bite does no real harm.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can share a pasture with it safely, as the plant holds no compounds known to trouble grazing stock.
Birds Safe
Backyard and pet birds stay safe near it, with nothing in the leaves or flowers that is toxic to them.
People Safe
It is not poisonous to people. Fan flower is grown for its flowers rather than for the table, so there is simply no reason to eat it.
Varieties
Fan flower comes in a few named selections, mostly told apart by flower color and how far they trail. These are the ones you are most likely to meet at the garden center.
Blue Wonder
Blue Wonder keeps up a steady stream of cool blue to violet fan-shaped flowers on long trailing stems, which makes it a natural choice for a hanging basket.
New Wonder
New Wonder is a vigorous trailer prized for the generous show of blue-lavender fan flowers it puts on.
Pink Charm
Pink Charm stays small, reaching only about 4 inches tall and 5 inches wide, and carries gentle pink blooms.
How to propagate
Making more fan flower is refreshingly easy, whether you snip a cutting from a plant you already love or open a fresh packet of seed.
Stem cuttingsEasy
During the growing season · A few weeks to root
The simplest path is a stem cutting taken during the growing season; it puts down roots in just a few weeks and gives you a faithful copy of the parent plant. If you would rather start from seed, sow it indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost.
Myths
Fan flower only keeps blooming if you deadhead it.
The faded flowers let go on their own, so there is no tedious round of spent-bloom picking to keep up with. Fan flower cleans up after itself, and the only trimming it ever wants is an occasional pinch of a stem that has grown too long.
Fan flower needs rich soil kept constantly moist.
In truth it is happiest in well-drained soil and takes heat and a dry spell in stride once it has settled in. Keep it wet and the roots begin to rot, which is the quickest way to lose a plant that would otherwise thrive.