Scaevola aemula (fairy fan-flower)

Japanese name: ブルーファンフラワー
Scientific name: Scaevola aemula

[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 10–40 cm tall.
It has weak cold tolerance, so in Japan it is treated as an annual.
The stems creep sideways and extend up to 70 cm long.
The leaves are simple and alternate, lanceolate to obovate, 4.5 cm long, glossy, with toothed margins.
It flowers all year round as long as the temperature allows.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils; the corolla is deeply 5-lobed, and because the upper part of the corolla tube is split down to the base, the lobes spread out like a fan.
Flower colors include white, pale blue and lilac.
There are 5 stamens.
The fruit is 4.5 nn long, drupe-like, and wrinkled.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by stem cuttings.
It dies when exposed to frost, so to overwinter it, pot it and bring it indoors to a sunny spot.
In warm regions it can overwinter outdoors.
It prefers sun and well-drained, well-aerated soil.
Excess moisture causes root rot, so keep it on the dry side; for potted plants, water thoroughly after the soil surface dries, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Running out of fertilizer reduces flowering, so in addition to base fertilizer, give liquid fertilizer once every 1–2 weeks from spring to autumn.
When flowering is over, cut back above a node with an axillary bud; new shoots will emerge and the plant will flower again.
When the stems have grown long and the plant has become untidy, cut back to 1/3–1/2 of its height above a node with an axillary bud to reshape it.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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