WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Lapageria rosea, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chilean bellflower in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Chilean bellflower in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Chilean bellflower, the national flower of Chile, is a twining evergreen vine with leathery leaves. Waxy, rose-pink bells up to 4 inches long hang from it from late summer into fall. It comes from damp, cool forests in southern Chile and needs bright shade, rich soil and steady moisture, doing best in cool coastal gardens.

VineRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Chilean 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 Chilean 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 an inch or two down at the base of the vine signals that Chilean bellflower needs water, since it should never dry out
  • Leaves yellowing between green veins can point to soil that is too alkaline, often after lime or the wrong fertilizer
  • Leaves scorching or buds dropping in hot afternoon sun can point to a site too hot for this cool-forest vine
  • Wilting over soggy soil suggests poor drainage, since it needs moist but well-drained ground
  • Weak growth near the roots of a big shrub or tree points to root competition for water

How to water it

  • Water the root zone at the base of the vine with drip or a soaker, keeping the soil evenly moist
  • Soak the soil about a foot deep, then water again before the top inch or two dries out
  • Plant in rich, well-drained, acid to neutral soil in bright shade, away from competing tree and shrub roots
  • Mulch the root area with leaf mold or compost to keep it cool and moist
  • Feed lightly if at all, avoiding products that raise soil pH

Through the seasons

A new Chilean bellflower needs evenly moist soil through its first year while its roots spread. Established vines still need regular water and should never dry out. It stays evergreen and blooms from late summer into fall, so keep moisture steady as the buds form. Winter rain on the coast usually keeps the soil moist through the cool months. WUCOLS rates Chilean bellflower moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Chilean bellflower can grow in a large pot with a trellis, in an acidic, peaty mix. Check the mix an inch down every few days in summer and water whenever it starts to dry, since it should never dry out. Let the excess drain through and empty the saucer. Keep the pot in bright shade, out of hot afternoon sun. In winter, water less but keep the mix lightly moist, and shelter the pot below about 20 degrees.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Chilean Bellflower for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Chilean Bellflower as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78––
Feb0.53–0.810.87––
Mar0.87–1.151.3––
Apr1.18–1.41.61––
May1.46–1.611.95––
Jun1.61–1.742.29––
Jul1.61–1.982.51––
Aug1.49–1.862.33––
Sep1.24–1.491.86––
Oct0.87–1.151.33––
Nov0.47–0.840.9––
Dec0.31–0.650.68––
Year12–15.518.41––

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 10

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like Chilean bellflower. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Variegated KiwiActinidia kolomiktanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAnemone ClematisClematis montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPrivet-Leaved JasmineJasminum leratiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEtruscan HoneysuckleLonicera etruscanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTatarian HoneysuckleLonicera tataricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGolden Flame HoneysuckleLonicera x heckrottinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBrazilian NightshadeSolanum seaforthianumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmur River GrapeVitis amurensisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCrimson Glory VineVitis coignetiaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBeach Morning GloryCalystegia soldanellanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Chilean 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 Chilean bellflower in summer?

In July, established Chilean bellflower in loam needs a deep watering 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 Chilean bellflower need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Chilean bellflower needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 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 Chilean bellflower change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Chilean bellflower separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated 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.

Where does Chilean bellflower grow best in California?

It is a cool-climate vine that does best in mild, foggy northern gardens such as the Bay Area and the Mendocino coast. Warmer areas struggle to grow it well. Give it bright shade and steady moisture wherever you try it.

Are Chilean bellflower flowers good for cutting?

Yes. The waxy flowers last a long time, and in Chile they are cut and sold for arrangements. Cutting a few does not change how the vine should be watered.

Does Chilean bellflower need acid soil?

It does best in acid to neutral soil. Avoid lime and fertilizers that raise pH, and feed only lightly. Soil amended with leaf mold or peat suits it.

Can Chilean bellflower take sun?

It prefers bright shade or partial shade. Hot afternoon sun stresses this forest vine, so a north or east wall works well.

How cold can Chilean bellflower handle?

It is hardy to about 15 to 20 degrees F. Mulch the roots before cold weather and keep the soil lightly moist through winter.

More plant watering guides

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Sources