WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Chamaemelum nobile (Anthemis nobilis), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Roman chamomile in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Roman chamomile in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Roman chamomile is a low, mat-forming perennial with finely divided, aromatic leaves and small white daisies with yellow centers from summer into fall. Its creeping stems root as they go, so it can make a fragrant groundcover or a small lawn for light foot traffic. It wants sun, light, well-drained soil and some moisture, and it struggles in heavy clay.

Ground coverRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Roman chamomile, 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 Roman chamomile 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 an inch down beneath the mat signals that Roman chamomile needs water during a dry spell
  • Patches turning brown in summer heat can indicate the shallow roots have dried out
  • Dead patches in the middle of older plants come from aging centers, not only from thirst
  • Plants thinning and rotting after a wet winter in heavy soil point to drainage trouble rather than a need for water
  • Sparse, patchy cover in a shady spot reflects too little light, not too little water

How to water it

  • Water evenly across the mat with a sprinkler or soaker, wetting the top 4 to 6 inches of soil
  • Let the surface dry slightly between waterings, then water again during prolonged dry spells
  • Plant in sandy loam or similar light soil, and choose another groundcover for heavy clay
  • Keep a new planting moist and off-limits to foot traffic for at least 12 weeks
  • Trim off flowers on lawn plantings and replant dead patches to keep the carpet dense

Through the seasons

Keep new plants evenly moist until their creeping stems root and fill in, ideally after a mid to late spring planting. Established mats need water mainly in prolonged dry spells, though they dislike very dry, stony ground. Flowers run from summer into fall. WUCOLS rates Roman chamomile low water on the north-central coast. In the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland, it rates moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert. Cold, wet winters in heavy soil can leave dead patches.

In pots

Roman chamomile grows well in a wide, shallow pot or window box, where its scent is close at hand. Use a light, well-drained mix and a container with drainage holes. In summer heat, feel the mix every day or two and water when the top inch has dried. Let water run through, then empty any saucer. Trim spent flowers to keep plants compact. In winter, water sparingly, since cold, wet mix is hard on it.

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

Roman Chamomile: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.78––
Feb0.210.650.810.87––
Mar0.351.091.151.3––
Apr0.471.521.41.61––
May0.582.081.611.95––
Jun0.642.481.742.29––
Jul0.642.671.982.51––
Aug0.62.391.862.33––
Sep0.51.81.491.86––
Oct0.351.181.151.33––
Nov0.190.560.840.9––
Dec0.120.340.650.68––
Year4.817.1115.518.41––

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

Star 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 JulyStrawberriesFragaria spp. & cvs. (CA native and non-natives species)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate 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 JulySerbian BellflowerCampanula poscharskyanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBunchberryCornus canadensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyKenilworth IvyCymbalaria muralismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCranesbillGeranium spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen CarpetHerniaria glabramoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpotted DeadnettleLamium maculatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLemon BalmMelissa officinalismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese SpurgePachysandra terminalismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMoss PinkPhlox subulatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGround Morning GloryConvolvulus mauritanicuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock CotoneasterCotoneaster horizontalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySouth African GeraniumPelargonium sidoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock SoapwortSaponaria ocymoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMother of ThymeThymus praecoxlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyVancouver Jade BearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTrailing LantanaLantana montevidensis (sellowiana) ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGermanderTeucrium chamaedrys ssp. & cvs.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 Roman chamomile, 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 Roman chamomile in summer?

In July, established Roman chamomile 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 Roman chamomile need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Roman chamomile needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 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 Roman chamomile change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Roman chamomile 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, not evaluated 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.

Can I make a lawn from chamomile?

Yes, in a sunny spot with light foot traffic. A non-flowering lawn type stays lower and denser than the flowering species, whose blooms must be trimmed off to prevent dead patches. Use stepping stones where people walk often.

Why does my chamomile have dead patches?

Patches appear as older plants die out in the center, after cold or wet winters, or when flowering plants are not trimmed. Replant bare spots promptly so weeds cannot move in. Water the new plants until they root.

Can I make tea from Roman chamomile?

The flowers of the species are used for tea. Some people develop skin irritation from handling the plant, and it is a problem for cats, dogs and horses. Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.

Can you overwater Roman chamomile?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and heavy clay that stays wet in winter can rot plants. Water in dry spells, then let the surface dry.

Does chamomile grow in shade?

Light, dappled shade is acceptable, but deeper shade leaves patchy cover. An open, sunny site gives the densest mat.

More plant watering guides

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Sources