WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Campanula & spp. and cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water bellflower in California

In July in the Central Valley, established bellflower in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 3.0 gallons a week. Bellflowers are campanulas, a large group that runs from mat-forming dwarf perennials to tall border plants up to 6 feet. Their bell, star or cup-and-saucer flowers come mostly in blue, mauve, pale pink and white through spring and summer. They like soil that holds moisture yet drains freely, in sun or part shade, and they dislike winter wet.

Ground coverPerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water bellflower, 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 bellflower 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 clump in summer means bellflower is ready for water
  • Flowers dropping fast and stems flopping on a hot day can point to a dry root zone
  • Lower leaves browning at the edges after a dry spell suggest the soil went too dry
  • A clump rotting at the crown after a wet winter points to poor drainage, not thirst

How to water it

  • Water the soil around each clump, not the flowers
  • Moisten the root zone about 6 inches deep, then let the top inch dry
  • Plant in free-draining soil that still holds some moisture, in sun or part shade
  • Give small rock garden kinds gritty, sharply drained soil
  • Keep watering through the first growing season while roots settle

Through the seasons

Water new plants through their first growing season so roots can settle. After that, keep the soil lightly moist from spring through summer bloom, more so in hot inland heat. Many kinds die back or slow down in winter, when wet soil is the main risk, so let rain do the work. WUCOLS rates bellflower moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. In the Central Valley it carries a high water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert and has not evaluated it for the low desert.

In pots

Low bellflowers suit shallow containers, troughs and the front of a border. Use a loam-based mix with extra grit so water runs through. Feel the mix with a finger and water when the top inch is dry, until it flows from the drainage hole. Small pots can need water daily in summer heat. Never leave the pot in a full saucer. In winter, keep the mix on the dry side, since these plants rot in cold, wet soil.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
4.27gal per sq ft in JulyHigh water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
27.38 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
1.12.13.24.30.64JAN1.04FEB1.74MAR2.43APR3.32MAY3.97JUN4.27JUL3.82AUG2.88SEP1.88OCT0.89NOV0.55DEC1.12.13.24.30.64JFM2.43AMJ4.27JAS1.88OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 4.27 in Jul, 27.38 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Bellflower: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.640.780.78––
Feb0.531.040.810.87––
Mar0.871.741.151.3––
Apr1.182.431.41.61––
May1.463.321.611.95––
Jun1.613.971.742.29––
Jul1.614.271.982.51––
Aug1.493.821.862.33––
Sep1.242.881.491.86––
Oct0.871.881.151.33––
Nov0.470.890.840.9––
Dec0.310.550.650.68––
Year1227.3815.518.41––

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 high water in the Central Valley, like bellflower. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Japanese Sweet FlagAcorus gramineushigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed GingerAlpinia purpuratahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyShell GingerAlpinia zerumbethigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBog RosemaryAndromeda polifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulySiberian BuglossBrunnera macrophyllahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyMarsh MarigoldCaltha palustrishigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyUmbrella Sedge and PapyrusCyperus spp. (CA native and non-native species)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyUmbrella PlantDarmera peltata (Peltiphyllum)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyFoxgloveDigitalis purpurea cvshigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyLeopard PlantFarfugium japonicum cvs. (Ligularia tussilaginea cvs.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyTransvaal DaisyGerbera jamesonii & hybridshigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyGiant GunneraGunnera manicatahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWhite Ginger LilyHedychium coronariumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese IrisIris ensatahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRushJuncus aquatic spp. (native and non-native spp.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalis hybrids and cvs. (CA native and non-native spp.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

DahliasDahlia spp.moderate 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 JulyFernsNephrolepis cordifolia (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDayliliesHemerocallis spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBegoniasBegonia & ssp. & cvs. (shade in the desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyIvyHedera helixmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStrawberriesFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBicolor MonkshoodAconitum cammarummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGarden MonkshoodAconitum napellusmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySnowdrop WindflowerAnemone sylvestrismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen Supreme ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Green Supreme'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMassachusetts ManzanitaArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'moderate water, Central Valley2.67 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 bellflower, 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 bellflower in summer?

In July, established bellflower in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 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 bellflower need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established bellflower needs about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.7 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 bellflower change across California?

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

What kind of soil do bellflowers need?

They want soil that holds moisture but drains freely. Gritty soil suits the small rock garden kinds. Heavy, wet clay invites crown rot in winter.

Can bellflowers grow in shade?

Many grow in sun or part shade. Some thrive on a sunny wall or bank, while others like a scree bed. Pick a kind that suits your spot.

Why did my bellflower rot over winter?

Most bellflowers cannot handle cold, wet soil. Improve drainage or grow them in a gritty pot. Hold back water while plants rest.

Are bellflowers good in pots?

Yes, low kinds suit shallow containers and troughs. Use a gritty, free-draining mix. Check pots often in summer.

How do I get more bellflower plants?

Take cuttings in early summer. Keep them lightly moist until rooted. Plant them out once they grow.

More plant watering guides

White-Barked Himalayan BirchSiberian BuglossMarsh MarigoldBlood Twig DogwoodUmbrella Sedge and PapyrusUmbrella PlantFoxgloveRed-veined Enkianthus

Sources