WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Abelia chinensis (Linnaea chinensis), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chinese abelia in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Chinese abelia in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Chinese abelia is a multi-stemmed shrub from southeastern China, deciduous in cold areas and semi-evergreen where winters are warm. Its arching branches reach 5 to 8 feet. From early summer to fall it carries clusters of small white flowers, the most fragrant of all abelias. The sepals left behind turn rosy mauve and hold through fall.

ShrubRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Chinese abelia, 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 Chinese abelia 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

  • A trowel test that finds dry soil several inches under the arching stems in summer means Chinese abelia wants a soak
  • New shoots drooping in afternoon heat can point to a dry root zone
  • Flowering tapering off in midsummer during a dry stretch can follow too little water
  • Yellowing leaves in soil that stays soggy point to overwatering

How to water it

  • Water slowly at the base until the root zone is moist several inches down
  • Let the upper couple of inches dry before the next watering
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in moist, acidic, well-drained soil
  • Prune to shape in early spring, since it blooms on new wood
  • Plant it near a path or patio to enjoy the scent

Through the seasons

Water a new shrub regularly through its first summer. Established plants want moderate, regular water through the long bloom season from early summer to fall. In cold winters it can die back and regrow in spring. It handles heat, humidity, deer and rabbits well. WUCOLS rates Chinese abelia moderate water on the north-central coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert, and has not evaluated it for the Central Valley or the south coast.

In pots

Chinese abelia can grow in a large container, where its arching stems spill over the rim. Use an acidic, well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches feel dry, soaking until it drains. In summer, check every few days, since a flowering shrub uses water fast. Empty the saucer after watering. Trim in early spring. In winter, water lightly while it rests.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Chinese Abelia: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37––0.78––
Feb0.53––0.87––
Mar0.87––1.3––
Apr1.18––1.61––
May1.46––1.95––
Jun1.61––2.29––
Jul1.61––2.51––
Aug1.49––2.33––
Sep1.24––1.86––
Oct0.87––1.33––
Nov0.47––0.9––
Dec0.31––0.68––
Year12––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 not evaluated in the Central Valley, like Chinese abelia. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingChilean Feather BambooChusquea culeou (C. breviglumis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGlaucous Scorpion VetchCoronilla valentina glaucanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWillowleaf CotoneasterCotoneaster salicifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar SagoCycas thouarsii (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingIrish HeathDaboecia cantabricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingButterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella BambooFargesia murielaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlue Fountain BambooFargesia nitida (Sinarundinaria nitida) (BAMBOO)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPrickly HeathGaultheria mucronata (Pernettya mucronata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOtterbossieGossypium harknessiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBox-leaved HollyIlex crenatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBellyache BushJatropha gossypiifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain LaurelKalmia latifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBarbados CherryMalpighia glabranot 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 Chinese abelia, 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 much water does Chinese abelia need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Chinese abelia needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 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 Chinese abelia change across California?

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

Is Chinese abelia fragrant?

Yes, it is considered the most aromatic of all abelias. Clusters of small white flowers bloom from early summer to fall. Plant it where you will smell it.

Does Chinese abelia attract butterflies?

Yes, it is gaining favor as a nectar source for butterflies. It suits pollinator gardens. Steady water keeps it flowering.

When should I prune Chinese abelia?

Prune to shape in early spring. It blooms on new wood. The arching branches can also be trained as a hedge.

Is Chinese abelia evergreen?

It is deciduous in colder climates and semi-evergreen where winters are warm. It may die back in a hard freeze. New shoots return in spring.

Why do Chinese abelia flowers turn pink?

After the white petals drop, the sepals turn a showy rosy mauve. They hold through fall. That is normal.

More plant watering guides

Rabbit's Foot FernPinwheel FlowerMeyer's YewHawthorn MapleMountain MapleMiyabe MapleEverglades PalmPink Cedar

Sources