Illustration
Fan Flower
Scaevola aemula
Fan Flower blooms from May through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Fan Flower
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 8 in tall and 20 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Fan Flower. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Fan Flower
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Fan Flower into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 10, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 10 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Fan Flower get?
8 intall5 ft 7 inan adult20 inwideSee Fan Flower in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Fan Flower
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Fan Flower about 20 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Fan Flower to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Fan Flower's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionScaevola aemulaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterHGIC 1197, Scaevola or Fan Flowerheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenScaevola aemulaheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Missouri Botanical GardenScaevola aemula 'Blue Wonder'height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- RHSScaevola aemula 'Blue Wonder'height, spread, sun and years to mature size
- anpsa.org.auAustralian Native Plants Society (Australia), Plant Profile: Scaevola...height, spread and sun
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (Become a fan of the fan flower)height, spread and trait tags
- Mississippi State University ExtensionScaevola works as border, groundcover or in containersun and trait tags
- plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.auPlantNET, New South Wales Flora Online, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney (S...height
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every color in the Fan Flower group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Blue | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 in × 20 in |
| Fanthis page | Purple | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 in × 20 in |
| Pink | Pink | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 in × 20 in |
| White | White | May–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 in × 20 in |
Good to know about Fan Flower
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Fan flower is unusually sensitive to phosphorus: a high-phosphorus feed can trigger yellowing between the veins of the newest leaves. Choose a low-phosphorus fertilizer. per Clemson and e-GRO
Full sun or part shade
Sources split: Illinois says full sun only; NC State, Clemson and Missouri Botanical also allow part shade. Full sun gives the most bloom; accept afternoon shade in brutal summers. per NC State and Clemson
The one-sided fan flower
Five petals all spread to one side, like an open hand or fan held in the leaf joints. That one-sided shape is what gives the plant its name. per NC State and Clemson
No deadheading needed
The flowers are self-cleaning: spent blooms drop on their own, so it flowers nonstop from late spring to frost with no deadheading. A big reason it stays low-maintenance. per Clemson
A trailing basket spiller
Low and spreading, with stems that cascade over an edge. That trailing habit makes it a natural spiller for hanging baskets, window boxes and the front of a bed. per NC State and Clemson
Draws bees and butterflies
Its long season of flowers draws butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. A steady, modest nectar source rather than a top-tier pollinator magnet. per Clemson
What pairs well with Fan Flower
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Lilac
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 10 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; echoes the purple.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its white flowers settle the purple.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; overlaps, then carries the display into early winter; stands well above at 6.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; blue sits close to purple on the wheel.
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