Plants
Fan Flower
Scaevola aemula · Goodeniaceae
Fan flower is our tip for anyone who wants true blue on the balcony: its half-round, fan-shaped blooms glow in a blue-violet that few summer flowers offer. On top of that, the Australian is remarkably tough — heat, wind and rain barely bother it. In hanging baskets and along box edges it flowers from May until frost without any deadheading.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade; flowers most richly in sun.
- Watering
- Moderate to regular, ideally low-lime — avoid waterlogging.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Scaevola aemula
What makes fan flower special is the bloom shape: all five petals sit on one side like an opened fan. The botanical name Scaevola derives from the Latin word for left-handed — even the Romans saw a hand in the one-sided flower.
Proven varieties come from series such as Surdiva, Scala and Bombay, which are more compact and even more floriferous than older breeds. Alongside the classic blue-violet there are white and pale pink forms, but blue remains the true strength of the species.
The habit is creeping to strongly trailing, with shoots 30 to 50 centimetres long. That makes fan flower first and foremost a hanging-basket and box-edge plant; in beds it forms flat, dense cushions over the summer.
Its origins on Australian sandy coasts make it the ideal plant for hot south-facing balconies: it tolerates blazing sun, short drought and wind far better than petunias. Even after heavy rain the firm blooms do not look battered.
The most important care mistake is excess lime: adapted to its native soils, scaevola dislikes hard water and lime-rich fertiliser — the leaves then turn yellowish (chlorosis). Rainwater or rested tap water and a feed containing iron prevent this.
In combinations the blue-violet is worth its weight in gold: with yellow bidens or creeping zinnia you get the classic complementary contrast, with white geraniums it looks fresh and maritime. We build it into almost every sunny hanging basket as a reliable framework.
Is Fan Flower toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Fan flower is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children. It can hang in baskets that cats paw at — serious poisoning is not to be expected.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Place in full sun to light partial shade — the more sun, the more flowers.
- 02Water regularly, though short dry spells are tolerated well.
- 03Use soft water where possible, fan flower is sensitive to lime.
- 04Feed weekly, ideally with a balcony-plant fertiliser containing iron.
- 05No deadheading needed, the plant cleans itself.
- 06Overlong shoots can be shortened at any time, which encourages branching.
Frequently asked
- Why are my fan flower's leaves turning yellow?
- Usually it is lime-induced chlorosis: fan flower comes from low-lime Australian soils and responds to hard water with yellow leaves and green veins. Switch to rainwater and apply an iron-rich feed, and the new growth will green up again.
- Does fan flower need deadheading?
- No, scaevola is self-cleaning and simply keeps flowering. Only overlong shoots may be shortened at any time — the plant then branches and flowers even more densely.
- Does fan flower tolerate full sun and heat?
- Yes, it is one of the most heat-proof balcony plants there is. On a hot south-facing balcony where petunias flag, fan flower carries on unimpressed — only regular watering needs to be ensured.
- Is fan flower bee-friendly?
- Yes, the open fan-shaped blooms are readily visited by bees and bumblebees, even though it is not a native forage plant. Combined with native perennials it makes for an insect-friendly balcony.