WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Russelia equisetiformis, WUCOLS IV

How often to water coral fountain in California

In July in the Central Valley, established coral fountain in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 3.0 gallons a week. Coral fountain is a subshrub from Mexico and Guatemala with arching, rushlike, bright green stems and leaves reduced to tiny scales. It forms a graceful mound 4 to 5 feet tall and wide that spills over walls and planters. Bright red tubular flowers tip the stems in spring and summer, and almost all year in warm-winter areas. It blooms best with regular water and at least half a day of sun.

ShrubUC Arboretum All-StarRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water coral fountain, 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 coral fountain 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

  • Coral fountain stems going limp or dull while the soil is dry a couple of inches down mean it needs water
  • Sparse flowers on a plant kept dry in shade point to too little water and light
  • Flower buds dropping in a cool spell are a temperature response, not thirst
  • Stems blackened after a freeze point to cold damage, and they can resprout from the base

How to water it

  • Water at the base when the top couple of inches of soil dry
  • Plant in full sun or half-day sun for the best bloom
  • Give fairly regular water through the warm months
  • Let it spill over a wall or the edge of a raised bed
  • Cut frozen stems back to the base and wait for new growth

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly until roots spread. Established plants look best with fairly regular to occasional water through spring and summer bloom. It stays evergreen to about 25 degrees F and resprouts from the base after a freeze. Winter rain usually covers its needs on the coast. WUCOLS rates coral fountain moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert. The Central Valley carries a low water rating.

In pots

Coral fountain is great in a large pot or hanging basket, where its stems cascade over the rim. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top inch dries, until water runs out the base. In summer heat, check every day or two. Keep the saucer empty. In colder spots, bring the pot into a bright window for winter, where it can keep blooming. Water less while days are short.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Coral Fountain: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.160.780.780.740.78
Feb0.530.260.810.870.930.93
Mar0.870.431.151.31.461.52
Apr1.180.611.41.611.891.95
May1.460.831.611.952.392.45
Jun1.610.991.742.292.852.79
Jul1.611.071.982.513.042.85
Aug1.490.951.862.332.792.6
Sep1.240.721.491.862.142.08
Oct0.870.471.151.331.461.49
Nov0.470.220.840.90.930.96
Dec0.310.140.650.680.650.68
Year126.8415.518.4121.2721.08

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 low water in the Central Valley, like coral fountain. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow 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 coral fountain, 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 coral fountain in summer?

In July, established coral fountain in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 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 coral fountain need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established coral fountain needs about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 1.7 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 coral fountain change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates coral fountain separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Does coral fountain attract hummingbirds?

Yes, its red tubular flowers are a favorite nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies. Bloom peaks in spring and summer. Plant it where you can watch them.

Can coral fountain grow in shade?

It grows in sun or deep shade. Flowering is far better with full or half-day sun. In shade it needs less water but blooms poorly.

Will coral fountain survive frost?

Stems stay evergreen to about 25 degrees F. After a harder freeze, it can resprout from the base. Cut damaged stems back in spring.

How do I propagate coral fountain?

Stems root where they bend and touch the soil. Cut rooted pieces free and pot them up. Keep them moist until new growth shows.

Is coral fountain deer resistant?

Some sources list it as resistant to deer. It also handles desert heat. It takes most soils with medium drainage.

More plant watering guides

Russian SageYarrowMountain AlyssumSagebrushWild PrivetFlowering WoodbineStar of BethlehemTexas Red Oak

Sources