How often to water creeping forget-me-not in California
In July on the north-central coast, established creeping forget-me-not in loam needs a deep watering about every 9 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Creeping forget-me-not, also called blue-eyed Mary, is a vigorous, mat-forming perennial about 8 inches tall with oval leaves. In spring it carries sprays of bright blue flowers with white eyes, much like forget-me-nots. It makes a lively groundcover in light shade and humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil.
How often to water creeping forget-me-not, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry an inch down under the mat in spring or summer signals creeping forget-me-not needs water
- Leaves going limp and flat in the afternoon can indicate thirst
- Leaf edges browning in sun can follow dry soil or too much light
- Yellowing, rotting patches where water collects suggest poor drainage
How to water it
- Water the mat with a gentle spray or a soaker beneath the leaves
- Wet the soil 4 to 6 inches down, then water again as the top inch dries
- Plant in light shade in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil
- Mulch with compost to keep the soil cool and moist
- Divide clumps to spread the planting
Through the seasons
Keep a new planting evenly moist while it spreads. Established mats still want moist soil through spring and summer. It flowers in spring, then keeps its leafy carpet through the warm months before dying back in winter. Shade and mulch help it through California summers. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates creeping forget-me-not moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Creeping forget-me-not makes a soft blue spring display in a shallow pot or window box in shade. Use a humus-rich mix and water when the top inch dries, until it drains. In summer, check every couple of days. Empty the saucer. Divide a crowded pot to refresh it. In winter, the leaves die back, so water only enough to keep the mix lightly moist. Keep it out of afternoon sun.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Creeping Forget-Me-Not as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Creeping Forget-Me-Not: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 creeping forget-me-not. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Lilyleaf LadybellsAdenophora liliifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
ArnicaArnica montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Frilly BergeniaBergenia ciliatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Cabbage on a StickBrighamia insignisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Basket PlantCallisia fragransnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Forest SedgeCarex sylvaticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Umbrella DracaenaDianella ensifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Rusty FoxgloveDigitalis ferrugineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Big-Flowered FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Woolly FoxgloveDigitalis lanatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Sunset FoxgloveDigitalis obscuranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Male FernDryopteris filix-masnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Alpine Sea HollyEryngium alpinumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Purple SpurgeEuphorbia dulcisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Queen of the MeadowFilipendula ulmarianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
DropwortFilipendula vulgaris (Filipendula hexapetala)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes creeping forget-me-not, 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 creeping forget-me-not need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established creeping forget-me-not 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 creeping forget-me-not change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates creeping forget-me-not 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, not evaluated 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.
Is creeping forget-me-not a true forget-me-not?
No, it is a related plant in the borage family. Its blue, white-eyed flowers look very similar. It spreads as a low mat.
When does creeping forget-me-not bloom?
It flowers in spring. The leafy mat stays through summer. Keep it moist after bloom.
Can creeping forget-me-not take sun?
It grows best in light shade. Hot sun scorches leaves and dries the soil. Plant it under trees or on a shaded side.
Does creeping forget-me-not have pests?
It is generally free of pests and diseases. Most problems come from dry or soggy soil. Check moisture first.
How do I spread creeping forget-me-not?
Divide clumps or sow seed. Plant divisions in humus-rich soil. Water them well until they root.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Omphalodes verna, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf