Scaevola aemula
Common Names: scaevola, fairy fanflower
Family: Goodeniacea (scaevola Family)
Perennial Annual Fast Growing Drought Tolerant Can be Grown in
Containers Has evergreen foliage Flowers
fairy fan flower
The low-growing and sprawling fairy fanflower is perfect as a
colorful groundcover - even at the beach as it is salt tolerant and
adapts to dry sandy soils.
Description
Fairy fanflower is an evergreen herbaceous perennial with thick,
coarsely toothed, oblong, 2 in (5.1 cm) leaves on erect and
sprawling stems. The plant forms a mound up to 20 in (50.8 cm) tall
and spreading 3 ft (0.9 m) across. It produces masses of blue, lilac
or white flowers with yellow throats on open spikes throughout the
spring and summer. The flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across and
the five petals are in a half circle, all on one side, which makes
them look like little hand fans.
'New Wonder' is probably the best known cultivar. It has a
sprawling habit and gets less than 1 ft (0.3 m) tall but can cover
an area 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter. It produces lots of small
purple-blue flowers all summer long. 'White Wonder' has white
flowers.
Location
Fairy fanflower is native to sandy, coastal areas in eastern
Australia. It often grows on coastal dunes.
'Blue Wonder' scaeveola
This is 'New Wonder' fairy fanflower. Click here to download a large
version of this image (800x600).
Culture
Light: Full sun or light shade.
Moisture: Fairy fanflower is quite tolerant of drought and loose,
sandy soils.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 - 11. airy fanflower can tolerate light
frosts. It grows fast enough to be used as an annual in cooler
zones.
Propagation: Seeds are sown in spring after danger of frost.
Softwood tip cuttings can be rooted in summer. (Of course, patented
cultivars such as 'New Wonder' and 'White Wonder' cannot be
propagated legally without permission.)
Usage
Fanflowers can be grown in containers or hanging pots outdoors in
summer and brought indoors during the winter. In subtropical
climates, they are grown in perennial beds and borders. They are
tolerant of sandy soils and salt spray. The sprawling cultivars make
excellent groundcovers in seaside gardens.
Features
Fairy fanflower is a great choice for seaside gardens in tropical
and subtropical climates. It covers the ground with a profusion of
pretty blue flowers for months on end. Cascading over the sides of a
hanging basket, fanflower is hard to beat as a summertime patio
plant.
Beach naupaka (Scaevola sericea) is an evergreen, bushy shrub to
10 ft (25.4 m) tall that has been used as hedge in South Florida
seaside gardens, but is now known to be extremely invasive and is no
longer recommended |
