sticky monkey flowerMimulus aurantiacus and cvs. (Diplacus aurantiacus)Shrub, California native- NCVL
- CVL
- SCVL
- SIVL
- HD×
- LD×
Plants starting with S: water needs by California 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.
Page 3 of 3: sticky monkey flower to Sykes coral tree.
sticky monkey flowerMimulus aurantiacus and cvs. (Diplacus aurantiacus)Shrub, California native
sticky wax weedCuphea glutinosaPerennial- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Stickyleaf RabbitbushChrysothamnus viscidiflorusShrub- NC?
- CV?
- SCVL
- SIVL
- HDVL
- LDM
stinking helleboreHelleborus foetidusPerennial- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
Stokes' asterStokesia laevisPerennial- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
stone cropHylotelephium spp. and cvs. (Some are Sedum)Perennial, Succulent- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
stone cropSedum spp. & cvs. (some are Hylotelephium)Ground cover, Perennial, Succulent, California native- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD?
stone gate palmTrachycarpus princepsTree, Palm or cycad- NC?
- CV?
- SCH
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
- NCL
- CVM
- SCL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
straw flowerHelichrysum bracteatumPerennial- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
straw flowerPlecostachys serpyllifolia (Helichrysum)Shrub- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD×
strawberryFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)Ground cover, California native- NCM
- CVM
- SCL
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
strawberry cinquefoilPotentilla megalanthaPerennial- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
strawberry guavaPsidium littorale var. longipes (Psidium cattleianum)Shrub, Tree- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
strawberry treeArbutus unedo & ssp. & cvs.Shrub, Tree- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HDM
- LDM
- NCM
- CVL
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
stream orchidEpipactis giganteaPerennial, California native- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDH
- LD?
Stribing Sunset cigar plantCuphea 'Strybing Sunset'Shrub- NCM
- CVM
- SC?
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
Sturdy SedgeCarex almaOrnamental grass, California native- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
Sturt's cassia/sennaSenna sturtii (Cassia sturtii)Shrub- NC×
- CV×
- SCL
- SIL
- HDL
- LDL
- NCL
- CV×
- SCL
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
succulent bush senecioSenecio barbertonicusPerennial, Succulent- NC?
- CV?
- SCL
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
succulent sesameUncarina grandidieriShrub- NC×
- CV?
- SCL
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
suffrutescent wallflowerErysimum suffrutescensPerennial, California native- NCL
- CVL
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sugar bushRhus ovataShrub, California native- NCL
- CVL
- SCVL
- SIL
- HDL
- LDL
sugar gumEucalyptus cladocalyxTree- NCL
- CV×
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
sugar mapleAcer saccharumTree- NCM
- CV×
- SC×
- SI×
- HD×
- LD×
sugar pinePinus lambertianaTree, California native- NC×
- CVL
- SC×
- SI×
- HD?
- LD?
- NCM
- CV×
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
sulphur-flower buckwheatEriogonum umbellatum var. polyanthumShrub, California native- NCL
- CVL
- SCVL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
summer hollyComarostaphylis diversifolia (Arctostaphylos diversifolia)Shrub, Tree, California native- NCVL
- CVL
- SCVL
- SIL
- HD×
- LDL
summer hyacinthGaltonia candicansBulb- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
summer lupineLupinus formosusPerennial, California native- NCL
- CVM
- SC?
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
summer ragwortLigularia dentata cvs.Perennial- NCH
- CVH
- SCH
- SIH
- HD?
- LD?
- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
summer snowflakeLeucojum aestivumBulb- NCM
- CVL
- SCL
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
summersweetClethra alnifoliaShrub- NCM
- CV×
- SC×
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Summertime Blue emuEremophila x 'Summertime Blue'Shrub- NC?
- CV?
- SCL
- SI?
- HDL
- LDL
Summertime Blues™Vitex agnus castus x rotundifolia 'Helen Froehlich' PP31660Shrub- NCL
- CVL
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LDM
sundropsCalylophus berlandieriPerennial- NCL
- CVL
- SCVL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
sunflowerHelianthus multiflorusPerennial- NCVL
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sunny Boulevard St. John's wortHypericum kalmianum 'Deppe' Sunny Boulevard®Shrub- NC?
- CVL
- SC×
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sunny Knock Out® roseRosa 'Radsunny'Shrub- NC?
- CVL
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sunrise tecomaTecoma Sunrise (TM)Shrub- NCL
- CV?
- SCL
- SIL
- HDM
- LDM
sunroseCrocanthemum aldersonii (Helianthemum scoparium)Perennial, California native- NCL
- CV?
- SCVL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sunset foxgloveDigitalis obscuraPerennial- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
Sunset manzanitaArctostaphylos 'Sunset'Shrub, California native- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
sunset muskmallowAbelmoschus manihot (Hibiscus manihot)Shrub- NCM
- CVM
- SC?
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
Sunshine Chinese privetLigustrum sinense 'Sunshine'Shrub- NCL
- CVM
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sunshine daydream abeliaAbelia x grandiflora 'Abelops'Shrub- NC?
- CVL
- SC×
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sunshine treeErythrina arborescensTree- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Surinam flame bushCalliandra surinamensisShrub- NC?
- CV×
- SCM
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
- NCM
- CVH
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
swamp honey-myrtleMelaleuca squameaTree- NC?
- CV?
- SCL
- SIM
- HD×
- LDM
swamp jessamineGelsemium rankiniiVine- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
swamp mahoganyEucalyptus robustaTree- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
swamp malleeEucalyptus spathulataTree- NCL
- CV×
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LDM
swamp milkweedAsclepias incarnataPerennial- NC?
- CVM
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
swamp paper barkMelaleuca rhaphiophyllaTree- NC?
- CV×
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
Swamp She-OakCasuarina glaucaTree- NCL
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD×
- LDM
swamp sunflowerHelianthus angustifoliusPerennial- NCM
- CVH
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
swamp weedSelliera radicansPerennial- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
swamp white oakQuercus bicolorTree- NCM
- CVM
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Swan Lake mock orangePhiladelphus Swan Lake®Shrub- NC?
- CVL
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Swan River daisyBrachyscome spp.Perennial- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
Swan River myrtleHypocalymma robustumShrub- NC?
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Swan river peaBrachysema celsianum (B. lanceolata)Shrub- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Swedish ivyPlectranthus verticillatusGround cover, Perennial- NCM
- CV×
- SCM
- SIM
- HD?
- LD?
- NCL
- CV?
- SCVL
- SIL
- HDL
- LDL
sweet acaciaVachellia farnesiana (Acacia farnesiana)Tree- NCVL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIVL
- HD×
- LDL
sweet almond bushAloysia virgataShrub- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet amberHypericum androsaemumShrub- NCM
- CVL
- SC?
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
sweet autumn clematisClematis ternifloraVine- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet bayLaurus nobilis ssp. & cvs.Tree- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HDM
- LDM
sweet bay magnoliaMagnolia virginianaTree- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet boxSarcococca confusaShrub- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SI?
- HD×
- LD×
sweet breath of springLonicera fragrantissimaShrub- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet briar roseRosa rubiginosa (Rosa eglanteria)Shrub- NCL
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet bushBebbia junceaShrub, California native- NC?
- CV?
- SCVL
- SIL
- HD?
- LD?
Sweet Drift roseRosa 'Meiswetdom' Sweet Drift®Ground cover, Shrub- NC?
- CVL
- SCL
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sweet Drift® RoseRosa 'Meiswetdom' PP21612Shrub- NCM
- CVM
- SC?
- SIM
- HDM
- LD?
sweet flagAcorus calamus 'Variegatus'Perennial- NCH
- CVH
- SCH
- SIH
- HD×
- LD×
sweet flagAcorus gramineusPerennial- NCH
- CVH
- SCH
- SIH
- HD×
- LD×
- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
sweet grassAnthoxanthum occidentale (Hierochloe occidentalis)Ornamental grass, California native- NCM
- CV?
- SCM
- SI×
- HD?
- LD?
sweet gumLiquidambar styracifluaTree- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
sweet hakeaHakea suaveolensShrub- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
sweet olive/osmanthusOsmanthus spp.Shrub- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LDM
sweet pea shrubPolygala X dalmaisianaShrub- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
sweet sarcococcaSarcococca hookeriana humilisGround cover, Shrub- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
sweet shadeHymenosporum flavumTree- NCM
- CV×
- SCM
- SIM
- HD×
- LD×
sweet viburnumViburnum odoratissimumShrub- NCL
- CVM
- SCM
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet violetViola odorataGround cover, Perennial- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIH
- HD?
- LD?
- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sweet woodruffGalium odoratumPerennial- NCM
- CVM
- SCH
- SI×
- HD?
- LD?
sweetleafStevia rebaudianaPerennial- NC×
- CVH
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Swiss stone pinePinus cembraTree- NCL
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
switch grassPanicum virgatum ssp. & cvs.Ornamental grass- NCM
- CVM
- SCM
- SIM
- HDM
- LD?
swizzle sticksKleinia anteuphorbium (Senecio anteuphorbium)Perennial, Succulent- NC?
- CV?
- SCL
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
swollennoded cane bambooQiongzhuea tumidinoda (now Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda)Shrub, Bamboo- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
sycamore mapleAcer pseudoplatanusTree- NCM
- CV?
- SC?
- SI?
- HD×
- LD×
Sydney blue gumEucalyptus salignaTree- NCL
- CV?
- SCL
- SI?
- HD?
- LD?
Sydney golden wattleAcacia longifoliaShrub, Tree- NCL
- CVL
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
Sykes coral treeErythrina x sykesiiTree- NC×
- CV×
- SCL
- SIL
- HD×
- LD×
Photo credits, 95 images from Wikimedia Commons
- sticky monkey flower: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Public domain
- sticky wax weed: Gaiacoyote, CC0 (licence)
- Stickyleaf Rabbitbush: Wallace Keck, Public domain
- stinking hellebore: Wildfeuer, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Stokes' aster: Kurt Stüber, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- stone crop: ℍenry Salomé, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- stone crop: Sannse, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- stone gate palm: Danerikk, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- straw flower: Mark Marathon, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- straw flower: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- strawberry: xulescu_g, CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence)
- strawberry cinquefoil: Hedwig Storch, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- strawberry guava: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- strawberry tree: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- stream orchid: BerndH, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Stribing Sunset cigar plant: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Sturdy Sedge: (c) Diego Rodríguez Hernández, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- Sturt's cassia/senna: Patricio Cowper Coles, CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- succulent bush senecio: JMK, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- succulent sesame: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- suffrutescent wallflower: peganum from Henfield, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence)
- sugar bush: Michael J. Plagens, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sugar gum: Bidgee, CC BY-SA 3.0 au (licence)
- sugar maple: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 (licence)
- sugar pine: Mitch from Costa Mesa, CA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence)
- sulphur-flower buckwheat: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- summer holly: Anthony Valois, Public domain
- summer hyacinth: Keith Edkins, CC BY 2.5 (licence)
- summer lupine: "All photos were taken by staff of the NRCS California Plant Materials Center..., Public domain
- summer ragwort: Pieter Pelser, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- summer snowflake: Malcolm Gin, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- summersweet: Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Summertime Blue emu: Hugo Innes, CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- Summertime Blues™: Ariesaada, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sundrops: abbamouse, CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence)
- sunflower: Արարատ Թրվանց, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- Sunny Boulevard St. John's wort: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- Sunny Knock Out® rose: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- Sunrise tecoma: Franz Xaver, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sunrose: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sunset foxglove: Cillas, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- Sunset manzanita: Chloe and Trevor Van Loon, CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- sunset muskmallow: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- Sunshine Chinese privet: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- Sunshine daydream abelia: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sunshine tree: Woudloper, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Surinam flame bush: Philipp Weigell, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- swamp honey-myrtle: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swamp jessamine: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- swamp mahogany: Casliber, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swamp mallee: Melburnian, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swamp milkweed: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- swamp paper bark: Geoff Derrin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- Swamp She-Oak: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- swamp sunflower: Choess, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swamp weed: Rudolph89, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- swamp white oak: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 (licence)
- Swan Lake mock orange: Haggeswood, CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- Swan River daisy: Melburnian, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- Swan River myrtle: Gnangarra, CC BY 3.0 au (licence)
- Swan river pea: Daderot, CC0 (licence)
- Swedish ivy: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- sweet acacia: Judgefloro, Public domain
- sweet almond bush: cultivar413 from Fallbrook, California, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- sweet amber: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sweet autumn clematis: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sweet bay: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet bay magnolia: Photo by and (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man). Co-attribution must be given to..., CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet box: Denis.prévôt, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet breath of spring: Kurt Stüber, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet briar rose: Rosa_rubiginosa_mit_einigen_Knospen.jpg: Sebastian Bieber derivative work: Bff, CC BY-SA 2.0 de (licence)
- sweet bush: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- Sweet Drift rose: Laitche, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- Sweet Drift® Rose: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sweet flag: J.F. Gaffard, Autoreille, France, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet flag: Cliff, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- sweet grass: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 18:00, 27 May 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet gum: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- sweet hakea: Averater, CC BY 4.0 (licence)
- sweet olive/osmanthus: Kurt Stüber, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet pea shrub: Astghik Tsaturyan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sweet sarcococca: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- sweet shade: Jan Smith from Brisbane, Australia, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- sweet viburnum: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- sweet violet: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 (licence)
- sweet woodruff: Jopi, Public domain
- sweetleaf: Ethel Aardvark, CC BY 3.0 (licence)
- Swiss stone pine: Tigerente at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
- switch grass: Warren Gretz, DOE/NREL, Public domain
- swizzle sticks: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
- swollennoded cane bamboo: Daderot, Public domain
- sycamore maple: Christian Pirkl, CC BY-SA 3.0 at (licence)
- Sydney blue gum: Poyt448 Peter Woodard, Public domain
- Sydney golden wattle: josh jackson, CC BY 2.0 (licence)
- Sykes coral tree: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0 (licence)
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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