WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Jasminum sambac, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Arabian jasmine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Arabian jasmine in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Arabian jasmine is an evergreen shrub with long, scrambling stems that twine when they find support. Clusters of very fragrant white flowers open in the evening, mainly in summer and sporadically at other times. It likes steady moisture while growing but handles soggy roots poorly, so a thorough soak followed by some drying suits it.

ShrubVineRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Arabian jasmine, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 Arabian jasmine 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 1.5 feet 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

  • Soil dry 2 inches down around the base of Arabian jasmine signals that it is ready for a thorough soak
  • Glossy leaves turning dull and soft over dry soil can indicate thirst during warm weather
  • Scorched leaves after a move into strong sun point to light stress, so check the root zone before adding water
  • Yellowing leaves over soil that stays wet can indicate overwatering, which this jasmine tolerates poorly
  • Sticky leaves or cottony white tufts on the stems point to scale or mealybugs rather than a watering fault

How to water it

  • Apply water at soil level around Arabian jasmine with drip or a slow hose rather than spraying the twining stems
  • Soak the root zone about a foot deep, then let the top couple of inches dry before the next watering
  • Plant in loose, organic soil that drains freely, since this jasmine does not tolerate waterlogged ground
  • Spread organic mulch over the root area, keeping it a few inches clear of the main stems
  • Move emitters outward as the shrub widens or its stems climb a trellis or fence

Through the seasons

Keep a new Arabian jasmine evenly moist through its first summer while roots spread beyond the nursery ball. Established plants take deeper soakings with some drying between them. Growth and the main bloom come in the warm months, when irrigation matters most. This evergreen slows in cool weather, so cut back water through winter. It does not survive being frozen, so shelter it on the coldest nights. Rain often carries coastal and Central Valley plants through winter, while desert plants need soil checks during dry spells. WUCOLS rates Arabian jasmine moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland or the high desert.

In pots

Arabian jasmine grows well in a container. Choose a pot only a size larger than its root ball, since it does poorly in an oversized one. Check the mix an inch or two down every few days in summer heat, and daily on a hot patio. Water until excess drains from the holes, then empty the saucer. Bright light with shade from harsh afternoon sun prevents leaf scorch. Before frost, move the pot to a sheltered spot or a bright window, and water sparingly through winter.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Arabian Jasmine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78––0.78
Feb0.530.650.81––0.93
Mar0.871.091.15––1.52
Apr1.181.521.4––1.95
May1.462.081.61––2.45
Jun1.612.481.74––2.79
Jul1.612.671.98––2.85
Aug1.492.391.86––2.6
Sep1.241.81.49––2.08
Oct0.871.181.15––1.49
Nov0.470.560.84––0.96
Dec0.310.340.65––0.68
Year1217.1115.5––21.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like Arabian jasmine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJasmineJasminum polyanthummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHoneysuckleLonicera japonicamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGrapevinesVitis vinifera ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyClematisClematis & ssp., hybrids & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Arabian jasmine in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWisteriaWisteria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFlowering WoodbineLonicera periclymenumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Arabian jasmine, 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 often should I water Arabian jasmine in summer?

In July, established Arabian jasmine in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 11 days on the south coast. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Arabian jasmine need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Arabian jasmine needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 gallons a day for a plant 8 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 Arabian jasmine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Arabian jasmine separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water 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, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Arabian jasmine a vine or a shrub?

It is an evergreen shrub with long stems that scramble and twine once they reach a support. Left alone it forms a loose, sprawling mound. Tie the longest stems to a trellis if you want it to climb.

Why are my Arabian jasmine leaves scorched?

Intense direct sun can scorch the leaves, especially on a plant moved suddenly from shade. Give it afternoon shade or move it into full sun gradually. Too little light causes the opposite problem, with long, leggy stems.

Can Arabian jasmine survive frost?

It does not tolerate frost and does not survive being frozen. Plant it against a warm wall where freezes are rare, or keep it in a pot you can move under cover. It also dislikes excess moisture, so ease off watering as nights cool.

When does Arabian jasmine bloom?

The main show comes in summer, with scattered clusters at other times of year. The white flowers open in the evening and are very fragrant. Pick a spot near a patio or window to enjoy them.

Can you overwater Arabian jasmine?

Yes. It handles too much moisture poorly, and roots held in soggy soil decline. Let the top of the soil dry before the next soak, and never leave a pot standing in water.

What pests attack Arabian jasmine?

Aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and spider mites can all infest it, especially indoors or under glass. Sticky leaves and sooty residue point to sap feeders, not thirst. Deal with the insects before changing how you water.

More plant watering guides

English HollyPrimrose JasmineCommon JasmineChilean Wine PalmGolden Rain TreeBeauty BushTwinberryFringe Flower

Sources