WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Antigonon leptopus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water coral vine in California

In July on the north-central coast, established coral vine 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. Coral vine is a fast, tendril-climbing vine from Mexico that grows from tubers and can cover an arbor or fence in a season. Sprays of bright pink, sometimes white, flowers spill over it from summer into fall. It survives dry conditions, dies back in cold weather, and spreads by seed and tubers, so it needs watching.

Ground coverVineRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water coral vine, 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 coral vine 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

  • Dry soil a few inches below the surface near the tubers in summer tells you coral vine wants a soak
  • Heart-shaped leaves hanging limp into the evening can indicate thirst
  • Pink flower sprays thinning out early in a hot spell can follow a dry stretch
  • Yellow leaves and mushy stems at ground level over waterlogged soil point to too much water

How to water it

  • Run a drip line or slow hose to the planting hole where the tubers sit
  • Wet the soil roughly 8 inches deep, and wait until the upper few inches have dried
  • Choose full sun and almost any soil that drains
  • Give its tendrils a trellis, arbor or fence to grab
  • Pull seedlings and stray tubers to keep the vine in bounds

Through the seasons

Water a young coral vine steadily through its first summer while tubers form. Established vines survive dry conditions, and occasional deep soaks keep them growing. It grows and blooms through the warm months and dies back in frost, then regrows quickly from its tubers. In the north-central coast region, WUCOLS gives coral vine a moderate water rating. The south coast, South Inland and the low desert all carry a low water rating. Two regions are poor fits: WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley or the high desert.

In pots

Coral vine can grow in a large pot with a trellis, which also helps contain its tubers. Water when the top couple of inches dry, letting it drain. In hot weather, a pot can dry in a few days. Empty the saucer each time. Cut back stems frozen in winter, and water lightly until new shoots appear in spring. Repot or divide the tubers when they crowd the container.

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

WUCOLS lists Coral Vine as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.310.31–0.31
Feb0.53–0.320.35–0.37
Mar0.87–0.460.52–0.61
Apr1.18–0.560.64–0.78
May1.46–0.640.78–0.98
Jun1.61–0.690.92–1.12
Jul1.61–0.791–1.14
Aug1.49–0.740.93–1.04
Sep1.24–0.60.74–0.83
Oct0.87–0.460.53–0.6
Nov0.47–0.330.36–0.38
Dec0.31–0.260.27–0.27
Year12–6.27.37–8.43

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 14

Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like coral vine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Golden Trumpet VineAllamanda catharticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJapanese ArdisiaArdisia japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPelican FlowerAristolochia giganteanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWax PlantHoya carnosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSwedish IvyPlectranthus verticillatusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFlame VinePyrostegia venustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCup-of-Gold VineSolandra maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar JasmineStephanotis floribundanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlack-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSky Flower VineThunbergia grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite CloverTrifolium repensnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen's WreathPetrea volubilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBeauverd's Widow's-ThrillKalanchoe beauverdiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingProstrate Natal PlumCarissa macrocarpa 'Prostrata'not 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 coral vine, 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 vine in summer?

In July, established coral vine in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 vine need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established coral vine 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 coral vine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates coral vine separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, low water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is coral vine invasive?

It is listed as invasive in Florida and is a weed in many tropical regions. It spreads by seed, stems and tubers. Remove seedlings and keep it trimmed.

Will coral vine come back after frost?

It is cold sensitive and dies back, but it grows back quickly from its tubers. Cut away the dead stems. Water lightly once new shoots appear.

How fast does coral vine grow?

It can grow 8 to 10 feet in a season. In warm areas it climbs much higher. Give it a large, sturdy support.

Do bees like coral vine?

Yes, bees and butterflies pollinate its flowers. The vine produces abundant seeds afterward. Cut spent sprays if you want to limit spread.

What soil does coral vine need?

It grows in almost any soil if it drains. Full sun gives the best bloom. Rich soil is not required.

More plant watering guides

Bo-TreeRusty Leaf FigFranklin TreeGolden Trumpet TreeKahili GingerKentia PalmWax PlantJungle Geranium

Sources