WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Artemisia tridentata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water big sagebrush in California

In July in the Central Valley, established big sagebrush in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across. Big sagebrush is an evergreen native shrub of dry mountain and Great Basin country, 3 to 6 feet tall with strongly aromatic, silvery blue-gray leaves. Small greenish yellow flowers appear in summer. It needs full sun and excellent drainage, and once rooted it lives on very little water. Too much water is a bigger risk than too little.

ShrubCalifornia nativeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water big sagebrush, 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 big sagebrush 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

  • Big sagebrush holding firm, gray leaves through a dry summer needs no extra water
  • A young plant wilting while its soil is dry a few inches down needs a deep drink
  • Leaves yellowing or dropping on soil that stays damp point to overwatering
  • Sudden collapse of a plant in heavy, wet soil points to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Soak a new plant deeply at planting, then water only when the soil dries several inches down
  • Plant in full sun in sandy or gravelly soil with excellent drainage
  • Taper to rare deep soaks in the hottest months once it is established
  • Keep it away from lawn sprinklers and drip lines for thirstier plants
  • Group it with other dry-country natives that share its needs

Through the seasons

Water a new plant through its first dry season until roots reach deep. After that it needs very little water, and summer drought is normal for it. It stays silver gray all year, and winter rain covers its needs on the coast and in the Central Valley. In the high desert, give an occasional deep soak in the hottest months. WUCOLS rates big sagebrush very low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. The high desert carries a low water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert.

In pots

Big sagebrush is happiest in the ground, but a young plant can live in a large, deep pot for a season or two. Use a gritty mix with extra sand and a pot with wide drainage holes. Water when the mix is dry most of the way down, then let it drain. In summer, check every few days. Never leave water in the saucer. In winter, water rarely and keep the pot out of steady rain.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
0.27gal per sq ft in JulyVery low water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
1.71 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.300.610.921.20.04JAN0.07FEB0.11MAR0.15APR0.21MAY0.25JUN0.27JUL0.24AUG0.18SEP0.12OCT0.06NOV0.03DEC0.300.610.921.20.04JFM0.15AMJ0.27JAS0.12OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 0.27 in Jul, 1.71 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Big Sagebrush: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.040.080.080.3–
Feb0.050.070.080.090.37–
Mar0.090.110.110.130.58–
Apr0.120.150.140.160.76–
May0.150.210.160.20.95–
Jun0.160.250.170.231.14–
Jul0.160.270.20.251.22–
Aug0.150.240.190.231.12–
Sep0.120.180.150.190.86–
Oct0.090.120.110.130.58–
Nov0.050.060.080.090.37–
Dec0.030.030.070.070.26–
Year1.21.711.551.848.51–

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 very low water in the Central Valley, like big sagebrush. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

OleanderNerium oleander ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAgaveAgave americana (and thick-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCactusOpuntia spp. & cvs. (CA natives and non-natives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySpanish BroomSpartium junceumvery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPearl AcaciaAcacia podalyriifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Scrub OakQuercus berberidifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyNuttall's Scrub OakQuercus dumosavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCreosote BushLarrea tridentata ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple SageSalvia leucophylla ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlack SageSalvia mellifera ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBeaked YuccaYucca rostrata ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyToyonHeteromeles arbutifolia ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyFox Tail AgaveAgave attenuata (and thin-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySaltbushAtriplex (CA native species) & ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyOak TreesQuercus agrifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySalt CedarTamarix aphyllavery low water, Central Valley0.27 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 big sagebrush, 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 big sagebrush in summer?

In July, established big sagebrush in loam needs a deep watering about once a month or less in the Central Valley, about once a month or less on the south coast and about once a month or less 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 big sagebrush need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established big sagebrush needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 0.4 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 big sagebrush change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates big sagebrush separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, very low water in the Central Valley zone, very low water in the South Coastal zone, very low water in the South Inland zone, low water 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.

Is big sagebrush a true sage?

No, it belongs to Artemisia, not to Salvia, the genus of culinary sage. Its leaves are strongly aromatic. It may be sold under the name Seriphidium.

How big does big sagebrush get?

It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. Leave room for its spread. Give it an open spot in full sun.

Is big sagebrush good for wildlife?

Yes, it is a very important wildlife plant in its native range. Use it in habitat gardens. It suits dry slopes with other natives.

Can big sagebrush grow in clay?

It needs excellent drainage and tolerates sand. In clay, plant it on a mound or slope. Water even less there.

Does big sagebrush grow in the low desert?

No, the low desert is outside its comfort range. Its native range is dry mountain country. Choose a plant built for low desert heat instead.

More plant watering guides

Variegated Century PlantDesert AgaveThread Leaf AgavePalmer AgaveButterfly AgaveSisalCentury PlantBlue Agave

Sources