WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Thalictrum alpinum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water alpine meadow rue in California

In July on the south coast, established alpine meadow rue in loam needs a deep watering about every 7 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.4 gallons a week. Alpine meadow rue is a compact perennial of the cool Northern Hemisphere that forms a low mound of blue-green, finely divided leaves. In late spring and early summer, short stems carry clusters of small nodding flowers, each a bell of green-purple sepals around purple, yellow-tipped stamens. It wants moist, humus-rich soil in partial shade.

PerennialCalifornia nativeRated for 1 of 6 zones

How often to water alpine meadow rue, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for alpine meadow rue and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Humus-rich soil drying at the surface around alpine meadow rue means it needs water
  • Leaves curling and browning at the edges in heat point to dry soil and too much sun
  • White powder on leaves in dry conditions points to powdery mildew
  • Plants dying back in late summer can be a heat rest in warm gardens

How to water it

  • Keep the soil evenly moist through the growing season
  • Plant in partial shade in moist, humus-rich soil
  • Mulch with leaf mold to keep roots cool
  • Cut faded flower stems in late autumn or early spring
  • Divide crowded clumps to make more plants

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly so the soil stays moist. Established clumps still want even moisture through spring and summer, plus shade from hot sun. Flowers come in late spring and early summer, and plants die back in winter. Powdery mildew can show up when soil is too dry. On the south coast, WUCOLS rates alpine meadow rue moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Alpine meadow rue suits a pot or trough in partial shade, where its delicate leaves are easy to see. Use a humus-rich mix that holds moisture yet drains. Water when the top inch begins to dry, until it drains through. In summer, check every day or two. Empty the saucer. In winter, after it dies back, water lightly to keep the mix from drying out completely.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Alpine Meadow Rue for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Alpine Meadow Rue as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Alpine Meadow Rue: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.78–––
Feb––0.81–––
Mar––1.15–––
Apr––1.4–––
May––1.61–––
Jun––1.74–––
Jul––1.98–––
Aug––1.86–––
Sep––1.49–––
Oct––1.15–––
Nov––0.84–––
Dec––0.65–––
Year––15.5–––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like alpine meadow rue. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Lilyleaf LadybellsAdenophora liliifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingArnicaArnica montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFrilly BergeniaBergenia ciliatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCabbage on a StickBrighamia insignisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBasket PlantCallisia fragransnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingForest SedgeCarex sylvaticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella DracaenaDianella ensifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRusty FoxgloveDigitalis ferrugineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBig-Flowered FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWoolly FoxgloveDigitalis lanatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSunset FoxgloveDigitalis obscuranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMale FernDryopteris filix-masnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine Sea HollyEryngium alpinumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple SpurgeEuphorbia dulcisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen of the MeadowFilipendula ulmarianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDropwortFilipendula vulgaris (Filipendula hexapetala)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes alpine meadow rue, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How much water does alpine meadow rue need per day?

In July on the south coast, established alpine meadow rue needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.8 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for alpine meadow rue change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates alpine meadow rue separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is alpine meadow rue hard to grow?

It is easy where soil stays moist and shaded. Heat and dry soil stress it. Mulch and water regularly.

When does alpine meadow rue bloom?

Small flowers appear in late spring and early summer. They have purple stamens tipped with yellow. The leaves are the main show.

Why does my meadow rue have white powder?

Powdery mildew can appear in dry conditions. Keep the soil evenly moist. Improve air flow.

Can alpine meadow rue grow in a pot?

Yes, it suits containers and rock gardens. Use a humus-rich mix. Keep it in partial shade.

How do I propagate alpine meadow rue?

Divide clumps or grow it from seed. Keep divisions moist. Replant them in shade.

More plant watering guides

Turkish HazelHardy CyclamenFine-Leafed MalleeCandelillaMoroccan MoundSeguier's SpurgeGreat Blanket FlowerOsoberry

Sources