Photo: Javier martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Light
- full sun to part sun. It flowers best with six hours and takes a hot, dry, west-facing spot better than most
- Water
- low to medium. Keep it evenly moist while it settles in, then let the soil dry slightly before watering again. Wet soil rots the roots
- Toxicity
- not listed by ASPCA or Pet Poison Helpline. Absence from the list is not evidence of safety
| Type | Warm-season annual |
|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun, part sun |
| Water | Low |
| Size | 8 to 14 in tall, 18 to 36 in wide |
| Bloom | blue, purple, pink, white · May to frost |
| Plant in | mid-April to June |
| Interest | Summer, fall |
| Upstate winter | One season |
| Hardy zones | 10 to 11 |
| Use in | Containers, beds |
| Role | Trailer |
Toxicity not independently confirmed: Not listed by ASPCA or Pet Poison Helpline. If you have pets, check with the ASPCA or your vet before putting this one where they can reach it.
Scaevola is the trailer for true blue in a sunny planter, which is rarer than it sounds. Each flower is a little half-circle fan, and the plant keeps making them from late spring to frost with no deadheading. It came from the dry parts of Australia, so a hot July on a south-facing stoop is closer to home for it than for most porch plants.
In the Upstate
It is hardy only in zones 10 and 11, so here it is an annual and the first frost ends it. Plant from mid-April on, once the soil has warmed to about 65 degrees. Heat and drought do not slow it. What it will not tolerate is a wet pot in a rainy stretch, so the mix has to drain. Few insects bother it beyond the occasional mealybug.
In a container
It is a spiller, 8 to 14 inches tall and 18 to 36 inches long by midsummer, trailing over the rim on soft stems. It pairs well with calibrachoa, lantana and petunias, which share its taste for sun and sharp drainage. Water when the top inch has dried, and let it dry slightly between drinks. If it gets leggy in August, pinch the stems back and it fills in. No swap needed midseason.
Care
Feed regularly through the summer, but not with a high-phosphorus bloom fertilizer. Water at the soil and let the pot drain. The one thing that kills it is root rot from a mix that stays wet, so skip the saucer and do not water on a schedule when it has rained.
Want this planted for the light you actually have? Start a project
Sources
- Clemson HGIC 1197, Scaevola or Fan Flower (hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/scaevola-or-fan-flower/)
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Scaevola aemula (plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/scaevola-aemula/)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list, searched for Scaevola and fan flower (aspca.org)
- Pet Poison Helpline, searched for scaevola (petpoisonhelpline.com)
