WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acanthus mollis (shade in the desert) (dormant in summer in CV), WUCOLS IV

How often to water bear's breech in California

In July in the Central Valley, established bear's breech 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. Bear's breech is a bold, clumping perennial from the Mediterranean, grown for huge, glossy, deeply lobed leaves that inspired the Corinthian column. From late spring into early summer, spikes 4 to 6 feet tall carry hooded white to pale pink flowers under spiny purple bracts. It spreads by rhizomes. Without summer water it goes dormant, while regular watering keeps it leafy.

ShrubRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water bear's breech, 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 bear's breech 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

  • Leaves yellowing and wilting in early summer heat as the soil dries mark the start of summer dormancy, which water can delay
  • Brown, scorched leaf edges in afternoon sun mean the clump needs shade in hot inland or desert gardens
  • Yellowing, collapsing leaves in soggy ground point to overwatering, since it tolerates most soils except wet ones
  • Ragged, chewed leaves come from snails and slugs, not from thirst
  • White powder on the leaves is powdery mildew rather than a watering problem

How to water it

  • Water deeply at the base of the clump, wetting the soil about a foot down
  • Let the top few inches dry between soakings, or stop summer water if you accept summer dormancy
  • Plant in fertile, well-drained soil with morning sun, adding afternoon shade inland and in the desert
  • Set a root barrier around the planting to hold back the spreading rhizomes
  • Mulch the root zone, which also protects the roots in cold winters

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly through their first summer while the rhizomes settle in. Flower spikes rise from late spring into early summer. Without irrigation the clump often goes dormant in summer heat, which is common in the Central Valley. Frost knocks back the leaves, but the roots are hardy to about 5 degrees F. WUCOLS rates bear's breech low water on the north-central coast. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. The high desert and the low desert also rate moderate water, and there it needs shade.

In pots

Bear's breech makes a bold container plant, and a pot also stops its rhizomes from spreading. Use a large, deep pot with drainage holes and a fertile, well-drained mix. In summer heat, check the mix every couple of days and water when the top 2 inches are dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. Cut off spent flower spikes, wearing gloves against the spiny bracts. In winter, water lightly.

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
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Bear's Breech: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.210.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.351.091.151.31.461.52
Apr0.471.521.41.611.891.95
May0.582.081.611.952.392.45
Jun0.642.481.742.292.852.79
Jul0.642.671.982.513.042.85
Aug0.62.391.862.332.792.6
Sep0.51.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.351.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.190.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.120.340.650.680.650.68
Year4.817.1115.518.4121.2721.08

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 bear's breech. 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 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 JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWestern ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than bear's breech 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 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 JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow 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 bear's breech, 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 bear's breech in summer?

In July, established bear's breech in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. 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 bear's breech need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established bear's breech 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 bear's breech change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates bear's breech separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water 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.

Why is my bear's breech dying back in summer?

It goes dormant in summer when it gets no irrigation, especially in hot inland areas. The roots survive, and leaves return when conditions cool. Regular summer watering keeps it green longer.

Is bear's breech invasive?

It spreads by rhizomes and is hard to remove once established, and it is considered invasive in some parts of the country. Contain it with a root barrier like those used for bamboo. Dig out stray rhizomes promptly.

Should I cut off bear's breech flower spikes?

Yes, trim off the spiny remains of the flower stalks after bloom. Wear gloves, since the bracts are prickly. The leaves stay attractive without the spent spikes.

Does bear's breech need shade?

It grows in full coastal sun to light shade and seems best with full morning sun. In hot climates, shade prevents leaf scorch. In the desert, plant it in shade.

Will frost kill bear's breech?

Usually not. A hard frost knocks the foliage down, yet the roots survive cold to around 5 degrees F and send up fresh leaves. A thick mulch adds protection in cold areas.

More plant watering guides

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Sources