WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Callicarpa japonica, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Japanese beautyberry in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Japanese beautyberry 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. Japanese beautyberry is a rounded deciduous shrub from China and East Asia with slender, arching branches 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. Pinkish white flowers in early summer on new wood lead to clusters of glossy violet-purple berries in late summer, showiest in fall once the leaves drop. Birds eat the berries.

ShrubRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Japanese beautyberry, 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 Japanese beautyberry 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 3 inches down under the shrub in summer means Japanese beautyberry needs a deep watering
  • Leaves drooping in afternoon heat can indicate thirst
  • Berries shriveling before they color can follow a dry late summer
  • Leggy stems with few berries point to too much shade, not water

How to water it

  • Water the root zone deeply, then let the top few inches dry
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil
  • Plant in groups for better cross-pollination and more fruit
  • Cut old stems back in late winter or early spring
  • Let birds enjoy the fall berries

Through the seasons

Water a new shrub regularly through its first summer. Established plants are somewhat drought tolerant but fruit best with moderate water through summer, when berries develop. Leaves turn greenish yellow with a purple cast before falling, leaving the berries on view. In cold winters it may die to the ground and regrow. WUCOLS rates Japanese beautyberry moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Japanese beautyberry can grow in a large container, with its arching stems cascading over the sides. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches are dry, until it drains through. In summer, check pots every few days, especially while berries swell. Empty the saucer. Cut it back in late winter. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Japanese Beautyberry: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.78––
Feb0.530.65–0.87––
Mar0.871.09–1.3––
Apr1.181.52–1.61––
May1.462.08–1.95––
Jun1.612.48–2.29––
Jul1.612.67–2.51––
Aug1.492.39–2.33––
Sep1.241.8–1.86––
Oct0.871.18–1.33––
Nov0.470.56–0.9––
Dec0.310.34–0.68––
Year1217.11–18.41––

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 Japanese beautyberry. 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 Japanese beautyberry 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 Japanese beautyberry, 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 Japanese beautyberry in summer?

In July, established Japanese beautyberry in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley 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 Japanese beautyberry need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Japanese beautyberry 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 Japanese beautyberry change across California?

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

Why does my beautyberry have few berries?

Shade reduces flowers and fruit and makes the shrub leggy. Planting in groups improves cross-pollination. Give it sun and steady summer water.

When should I prune Japanese beautyberry?

Prune old stems in late winter or early spring. It blooms on new wood. Pruning then does not cost flowers.

Do birds eat beautyberry berries?

Yes, birds eat the glossy violet berries. The berries are showiest in fall after leaves drop. Plant it where you can watch birds.

Does Japanese beautyberry spread?

It can naturalize from seed. Pull unwanted seedlings. It can also be grown from cuttings.

How big does Japanese beautyberry get?

It grows 4 to 6 feet tall and wide with a vase-shaped, spreading form. It suits borders and foundations. Leave room for the arching stems.

More plant watering guides

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Sources