- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
Bamboo rated for California: water needs by climate zone
Each plant shows its water use rating for each of the six California climate zones. Minutes opens the sprinkler calculator with the plant and a climate city preset.
bamboo (Bambusa)Bambusa spp.Shrub, Bamboo- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
bamboo (Phyllostachys)Phyllostachys spp.Shrub, Tree, Bamboo- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
bamboo (Sasa)Sasa spp.Shrub, Bamboo- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
Bergamboes bambooThamnocalamus tessellatusShrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
blue bambooHimalayacalamus hookerianus cvs.Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
blue fountain bambooFargesia nitida (Sinarundinaria nitida) (BAMBOO)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
candy cane bambooHimalayacalamus falconeri Damarapa'Shrub, Tree, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
chocolate bambooFargesia fungosa (Borinda fungosa)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
dragon's head bambooFargesia dracocephalaShrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
dwarf bambooPleioblastus spp.Ground cover, Perennial, Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
giant Burmese timber bambooDendrocalamus asperTree, Bamboo- NC×
- CV?
- SCH
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
green screen bambooFargesia robusta & cvs.Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
highland bambooChusquea foliosaShrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
male bambooDendrocalamus strictusTree, Bamboo- NC×
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
marbled bambooChimonobambusa marmorea (Arundinaria)Shrub, Bamboo- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
Mexican weeping bambooOtatea acuminata (aztecorum)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
Narihira bambooSemiarundinaria fastuosaShrub, Tree, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LDM
- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Okame-Zaza bambooShibataea kumasasaGround cover, Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
pittieri bambooChusquea pittieriShrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
reed bambooOchlandra stridulaShrub, Bamboo- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
square-stemmed bambooChimonobambusa quadrangularisShrub, Tree, Bamboo- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
swollennoded cane bambooQiongzhuea tumidinoda (now Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
thamnocalamusThamnocalamus spathiflorus (aristatus)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
umbrella bambooFargesia murielaeShrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
umbrella bambooFargesia spathacea (Thamnocalamus spathaceus)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
variegated Chinese temple bambooSinobambusa tootsik 'Albostriata'Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
white striped dwarf bambooSasaella masamuneana albostriataGround cover, Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Photo credits, 27 images from Wikimedia Commons
- bamboo (Bambusa): Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- bamboo (Phyllostachys): Samuel Wantman Uploaded by Sam at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- bamboo (Sasa): Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Bergamboes bamboo: (c) Nick Helme, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- blue bamboo: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- blue fountain bamboo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- candy cane bamboo: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- chocolate bamboo: Djlayton4, Daniel J. Layton, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- dragon's head bamboo: Cngodles at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- dwarf bamboo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- giant Burmese timber bamboo: Dvellakat, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- green screen bamboo: Filostachys, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- highland bamboo: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- male bamboo: LRBurdak, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- marbled bamboo: Daderot, Public domain
- Mexican weeping bamboo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Narihira bamboo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Okame-Zaza bamboo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- pittieri bamboo: McKay Savage from London, UK, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- reed bamboo: Sugeesh at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- square-stemmed bamboo: SSR2000, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swollennoded cane bamboo: Daderot, Public domain
- thamnocalamus: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- umbrella bamboo: IKAl, CC BY-SA 2.5 (licence)
- umbrella bamboo: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- variegated Chinese temple bamboo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- white striped dwarf bamboo: Daderot, Public domain
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Zones: NC North-Central Coastal, CV Central Valley, SC South Coastal, SI South Inland, HD High and Intermediate Desert, LD Low Desert. Ratings: VL very low water, L low, M moderate, H high, ? not rated for that zone, × not suited to that zone. Ratings are the University of California WUCOLS IV list.
How to use this list
- MinutesOpen the calculator with this plant set. The preset city is in a zone where WUCOLS rates the plant. Set your sprinkler type and watering days.
- GuideRead a plant watering guide. Links appear for plants covered by our 1023 written guides.
- PlanBuild your personal watering plan. Put your plants and city together for monthly sprinkler minutes on a printable sheet.
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant list, University of California, snapshot of the live databaseRead August 23, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS
- Appendix C reference evapotranspiration table behind the six zonesRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf