WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ranunculus spp. (summer growing), WUCOLS IV

How often to water creeping buttercup in California

In July in the Central Valley, established creeping buttercup 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. Creeping buttercup is a low perennial, usually under a foot tall, with glossy bright yellow flowers and dark green leaves split into three toothed leaflets. It spreads fast by runners that root at every node, and it thrives in moist, poorly drained ground. That vigor makes it a weed in lawns and wet meadows, so plant it only where it can be contained.

PerennialBulbRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water creeping buttercup, 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 creeping buttercup 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 an inch down among the leaves in summer signals creeping buttercup needs water
  • Leaves wilting flat in the afternoon can indicate a dry spell
  • Runners stalling and rosettes shrinking in late summer can follow dry soil
  • Runners racing into lawns and beds show the soil is wetter than it needs to be

How to water it

  • Keep the soil evenly moist with drip or a soaker in the growing season
  • Water when the top inch dries, rather than flooding the bed
  • Plant it only in a bed with solid edges or a sunken barrier
  • Choose a damp spot in sun or partial shade where few other plants grow
  • Pull runners that cross the edge before they root

Through the seasons

Keep new plants moist until runners begin to root. Runner growth starts in spring and peaks in late summer, so that is when water matters most. Flowers appear from early spring into summer. Plants may persist through winter as small rosettes. WUCOLS rates creeping buttercup moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. South Inland, the high desert and the low desert carry the same moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the south coast.

In pots

A container is the safest home for creeping buttercup, since it keeps runners from rooting into the garden. Use moisture-holding mix and water when the top inch is dry, letting excess drain. In summer, check every day or two. Set the pot on paving so runners cannot reach soil. In winter, plants may persist as small rosettes, so water only enough to keep the mix damp.

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
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Creeping Buttercup: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–0.780.740.78
Feb0.530.65–0.870.930.93
Mar0.871.09–1.31.461.52
Apr1.181.52–1.611.891.95
May1.462.08–1.952.392.45
Jun1.612.48–2.292.852.79
Jul1.612.67–2.513.042.85
Aug1.492.39–2.332.792.6
Sep1.241.8–1.862.142.08
Oct0.871.18–1.331.461.49
Nov0.470.56–0.90.930.96
Dec0.310.34–0.680.650.68
Year1217.11–18.4121.2721.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like creeping buttercup. 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 JulyCannasCanna spp.moderate 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 July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than creeping buttercup 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 JulyStar of BethlehemOrnithogalum arabicumlow 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 July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes creeping buttercup, 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 creeping buttercup in summer?

In July, established creeping buttercup in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley and about every 6 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 creeping buttercup need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established creeping buttercup 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 creeping buttercup change across California?

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

Is creeping buttercup a weed?

It often is. One plant can spread over a large area in a single year, and it invades lawns, pastures and wet meadows. Contain it before planting.

Is creeping buttercup poisonous?

Fresh plants are toxic to grazing animals. Keep pets and livestock from eating it. Wear gloves when pulling it.

How do I remove creeping buttercup?

Dig it out with a sharp trowel, removing all runners and roots. It comes out best from fall to spring when the soil is moist. Repeat as new plants appear.

Why is creeping buttercup taking over my lawn?

It thrives in wet, compacted, poorly drained soil. Mowing does not stop it because it grows so low. Improving drainage helps the grass compete.

How long do buttercup seeds last?

Seeds can stay viable in soil for 20 years or more. Remove flowers before they set seed. Expect seedlings for several seasons after removal.

More plant watering guides

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Sources