Grow fan flower in full sun, in soil that drains, and in a hanging basket or a pot with a hole. Fan flower is Scaevola. Shops also say fairy fan flower. It is not beach naupaka, the big coastal shrub.
Give it full sun, soil that drains, and a hanging basket or a pot with a hole
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least six hours; a little afternoon shade only in reflected desert heat | Do not hang it in deep shade if you want bloom |
| Water | Water a new plant until it is set, then soak when the surface dries | Do not leave the mix soggy, because the roots rot |
| Soil | A potting mix that drains, or garden soil that does not stay wet | Do not plant it in a low pocket that holds water |
| Pot | A hanging basket or a patio pot with a drainage hole, so the stems can trail | Do not use a bowl with no hole |
| Feed | A regular summer feed that is not high in phosphorus | Do not pour on a high-phosphorus bloom booster |
| Salt | Coastal air is fine if the mix still drains | Do not plant it in a coastal bed that stays wet |
| Frost | Grow it as a summer annual, or bring the pot in before frost | Do not leave a potted plant out for a freeze |
fan flower is Scaevola aemula, an Australian trailer with one-sided fan flowers on toothed green leaves. Sit it in full sun and in mix that drains, because shade cuts bloom and wet feet rot the roots. [1] It is about 8 to 18 inches tall, and the stems trail 1 to 2 feet or more, which is why a hanging basket or a pot on a wall shows the flowers. [2] Give it at least six hours of sun. A little afternoon shade helps only where pavement throws extra heat. Coastal air does not bother it, but the mix still has to dry between waterings. [3] Water a new plant every few days until it puts on growth, then soak when the surface feels dry. Established plants get through a dry spell, but a soak in heat keeps the fans coming. Use a feed that is not high in phosphorus. Spent flowers drop on their own.
How much sun does fan flower need?
Full sun, at least six hours. It will live in part sun, but you get fewer flowers. Deep shade makes thin stems and little color.
How often do I water fan flower?
Water a new plant until it is set, then soak when the surface dries. Do not leave the mix soggy.
Can I grow it in a hanging basket?
Yes. Use a pot with a hole, keep the mix from staying soggy, and hang it in sun. The stems are meant to trail.
Pinch long stems if they get sparse — spent flowers drop on their own
You do not pick off every spent fan. The flowers are self-cleaning, so they drop and the next ones open. If the stems stretch and look thin, pinch the tips so side shoots fill in.
- Wait until the plant is growing, then pinch the longest tips back by a few inches.
- Do not strip every spent flower. Let them drop.
- After a pinch, keep it in sun and water when the surface dries, so the new shoots flower.
Do I need to deadhead fan flower?
No. Spent flowers drop on their own. Pinch the tips only if the stems get long and sparse.
Bring a pot in before frost, or grow it as a summer annual
Most U.S. gardeners outside a frost-free winter grow fan flower as a summer annual and let the first freeze end it. If it is already in a pot, bring that pot into a bright room before frost and water less while it sits still. [4] A more reliable way to keep the same plant is a stem cutting in late summer — see How to Propagate Fan Flower. It is not a houseplant for a dim room.
Is fan flower an annual or a perennial?
Grow it as a summer annual unless winter stays frost-free. A pot can come indoors before frost, or take a cutting.
After frost, set the crown level and space plants 12 to 18 inches
Set a nursery plant after the last frost, once the soil has warmed to about 65 F. Dig a hole as deep as the pot, set the crown level with the soil, and water it in. In a hanging basket 10 inches or larger, three or four plants fill the rim so the stems can fall.
- Wait until nights stay above frost and the soil is warm.
- Set the crown even with the soil. Do not bury the stems.
- Space bed plants 12 to 18 inches apart so the stems can trail.
- Water them in. After that first soak, go back to watering when the surface dries.
When do I plant fan flower outside?
After the last frost, when the soil is warm, about 65 F. In a frost-free garden you can plant in any warm month.
How far apart do I plant it?
Give bed plants 12 to 18 inches. In a 10-inch hanging basket, three or four plants fill the rim.
Not beach naupaka — and not trailing lobelia
Beach naupaka is Scaevola taccada, a woody coastal shrub with white half-flowers and white fruit. Fan flower is the trailing Australian annual. Read the tag for Scaevola aemula. Trailing lobelia is Lobelia erinus, a cool-season basket plant that fades in heat — see How to Grow Lobelia. Old tags that say Lobelia aemula are this plant, not lobelia. Fanwort is Cabomba, an underwater plant with fan-shaped leaves — see How to Grow Fanwort.
Is this beach naupaka?
No. Beach naupaka is a woody coastal shrub. Fan flower is the trailing basket plant labeled Scaevola aemula.
Is this trailing lobelia?
No. Trailing lobelia is a cool-season basket plant. Fan flower holds through summer heat. Old Lobelia aemula tags are this plant.
If the mix stays wet, let it dry. If nights will freeze and you want the same plant next year, take a cutting or bring the pot into a bright room.
FAQ
Are Whirlwind and Bombay different plants?
They are shop colors of the same fan flower. Blue, pink, and white forms use the same sun, drain, and hanging basket.
Can I keep it as a houseplant all year?
Not in a dim room. Bring a pot to a bright window for winter if you want, then set it back in sun after frost, or take a cutting instead.
Does it take over a bed?
The stems trail 1 to 2 feet, but they stay a compact mat. It is not a shrub that colonizes a dune.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Clemson HGIC -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/scaevola-or-fan-flower/ - [2] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/scaevola-aemula/ - [3] Garden Design -
https://www.gardendesign.com/annuals/scaevola.html - [4] Missouri Botanical Garden -
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=291574
This note is part of Scaevola Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors