How to Care for Scaevola and Bacopa Plants
Bacopa (Sutera cordata) is an evergreen perennial vine that’s native to South Africa. Bacopa is also used as an annual flowering plant in colder climates. The bacopa plant grows to about 5 inches tall and 2 feet wide. Scaevola, also called the Australian fan flower, grows to about 8 inches tall and 3 feet wide. Native to Australia, scaevola plants are annuals with lavender, fan-shaped flowers. Both scaevola and bacopa plants enjoy semitropical, warm climates and cannot survive freezing temperatures.
Place your bacopa and scaevola plants in full sunlight, planting them either in containers, like hanging baskets, or in flower beds with well-draining soil. If you’re planting scaevola and bacopa plants in flower beds, mix into the soil generous amounts of peat moss and organic compost.
- Bacopa (Sutera cordata) is an evergreen perennial vine that’s native to South Africa.
- Scaevola, also called the Australian fan flower, grows to about 8 inches tall and 3 feet wide.
Water your bacopa and scaevola plants once or twice a week during the growing season to keep the soil evenly moistened to a depth of about 4 to 6 inches. Scaevolas that are planted in outdoor flower beds enjoy drier conditions, so allow the top 1 or 2 inches of soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Feed container-grown scaevolas once every two weeks during the growing season with a high-nitrogen fertilizer that contains no phosphorus, following the directions on the label. Feed outdoor-grown scaevolas once monthly during the growing season.
Feed your bacopa plants once every two weeks during the growing season with a 20-20-20 NPK (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizer, if you’re growing them in containers. If your bacopa plants are growing in a flower bed outdoors, feed them with an all-purpose garden fertilizer once each month, according to the instructions on the label.
Deadhead your scaevola plants to remove spent flowers and encourage continuous re-blooming. Trim the ends of new shoots on bacopas during the growing season to promote healthy branching.
- Water your bacopa and scaevola plants once or twice a week during the growing season to keep the soil evenly moistened to a depth of about 4 to 6 inches.
- Feed container-grown scaevolas once every two weeks during the growing season with a high-nitrogen fertilizer that contains no phosphorus, following the directions on the label.
Tip
Protect your bacopa and scaevola plants from freezing winter temperatures. Bring container-grown plants indoors and place them in a sunny window during cold winter months, or spread a 3- to 4-inch-thick layer of bark mulch over the flower bed during the winter, if they’re grown outdoors.
Warning
Avoid feeding your bacopa plants a phosphorus-containing fertilizer if you’re planting them in the same flower bed or container as the scaevola plants. Phosphorus is toxic to scaevolas and can leach into the soil around the plants.
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References
Tips
- Protect your bacopa and scaevola plants from freezing winter temperatures. Bring container-grown plants indoors and place them in a sunny window during cold winter months, or spread a 3- to 4-inch-thick layer of bark mulch over the flower bed during the winter, if they're grown outdoors.
Warnings
- Avoid feeding your bacopa plants a phosphorus-containing fertilizer if you're planting them in the same flower bed or container as the scaevola plants. Phosphorus is toxic to scaevolas and can leach into the soil around the plants.
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Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals.
