WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Helianthemum nummularium & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water sun rose in California

In July in the Central Valley, established sun rose in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Sun rose is a low, spreading evergreen subshrub, 6 to 12 inches tall, with small gray-green leaves. Its saucer-shaped flowers come in yellow, pink, white, orange or red. Each flower lasts about a day, but new ones keep opening from late spring into early summer. It wants full sun and sharp drainage, and needs only modest water once established.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water sun rose, 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 sun rose 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 foot 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 3 inches down around a young sun rose in its first summer signals that it needs a soak
  • Leaves dulling and stems wilting in a long heat wave suggest an established plant has dried too far
  • Stems blackening and dying back from the center in soggy soil point to poor drainage
  • Flowers dropping after a single day are normal, since each bloom opens and fades quickly
  • Sparse flowering in shade points to too little sun, not a water problem

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the mat with drip or a soaker, keeping the small leaves dry
  • Soak the root zone 8 to 12 inches deep, then let it dry well before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in gritty, alkaline to neutral soil, such as a rock garden, bank or wall top
  • Mulch with gravel rather than bark so the crown stays dry
  • Water the newly rooted stems at the edge of the mat as it spreads

Through the seasons

A new sun rose needs regular soaks through its first summer while its roots settle. Established plants need only modest summer water and dislike soggy soil. It stays evergreen and flowers from late spring into early summer. A clip after bloom keeps it bushy and may bring a second flush in late summer. On the coast and in the Central Valley, rain usually handles winter. WUCOLS rates sun rose low water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Sun rose spills nicely over the edge of a container or trough in full sun. Use a gritty, free-draining mix, and water when the mix is dry 2 inches down. Let water drain through fully and leave the saucer empty. In summer heat that can mean checking every few days, since a small pot dries fast. Shear it after the spring bloom, and water sparingly in winter.

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

Sun Rose: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.310.31––
Feb0.210.650.320.35––
Mar0.351.090.460.52––
Apr0.471.520.560.64––
May0.582.080.640.78––
Jun0.642.480.690.92––
Jul0.642.670.791––
Aug0.62.390.740.93––
Sep0.51.80.60.74––
Oct0.351.180.460.53––
Nov0.190.560.330.36––
Dec0.120.340.260.27––
Year4.817.116.27.37––

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 sun rose. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

DahliasDahlia spp.moderate 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 JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate 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 JulyMountain SandwortArenaria montanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySwamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyOrange MilkweedAsclepias tuberosamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreater MasterwortAstrantia majormoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHardy BegoniaBegonia grandismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWax BegoniaBegonia semperflorensmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

AgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia 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 JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow 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 JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain Lady's MantleAlchemilla alpinalow 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 sun rose, 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 sun rose in summer?

In July, established sun rose in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 18 days on the south coast and about every 14 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 sun rose need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established sun rose 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 sun rose change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates sun rose separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low 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.

Should I cut back sun rose after flowering?

Yes. Clipping it lightly after the spring bloom keeps the plant bushy and can bring a second flush of flowers in late summer. Water once afterward if the soil is dry.

Why do sun rose flowers fall off so fast?

Each flower lasts only about a day. So many buds open in sequence that the show carries on from late spring into early summer. Short-lived blooms are not a sign of thirst.

Can sun rose grow in part shade?

It flowers best in full sun. In hot inland gardens it tolerates light afternoon shade, but deep shade cuts bloom.

Does sun rose need alkaline soil?

It prefers alkaline to neutral soil with sharp drainage. If your soil is alkaline, that suits it well. Focus on drainage either way.

Can sun rose trail over a wall?

Yes. Its stems spread and root as they go, and they cascade nicely over walls and banks. Plants on a wall top dry faster, so check their soil more often in summer.

More plant watering guides

English YewJapanese YewWood SageWestern Red CedarAmerican LindenLittle Leaf LindenChinese ToonPurple Heart Spiderwort

Sources