WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Larrea tridentata ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water creosote bush in California

In July in the Central Valley, established creosote bush in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across. Creosote bush is the evergreen backbone of the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, a slow shrub with tiny, resinous, two-lobed leaves. Small yellow flowers open in spring and again after rains, and the air smells clean and resinous after a summer storm. Once established it loves drought and dislikes regular water.

ShrubCalifornia nativeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water creosote bush, 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 creosote bush 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

  • In the first year, soil dry 4 inches down around the young shrub means it needs a deep soak
  • New growth wilting on a young shrub in its first summer heat calls for a slow, deep soak
  • A shrub that sulks or declines under regular irrigation after the first year is getting too much water
  • Black, soft stems near the base in heavy, wet soil point to rot from poor drainage
  • Fresh flowers and new leaves after a rain show it responding to water, not a need for more

How to water it

  • Water a new creosote bush slowly around its root ball, letting the soil dry deeply between soakings
  • Wet the soil to about a foot during the first year, then taper toward rain alone
  • Plant in full sun in loose, fast-draining soil, on a slope or mound where rainfall is higher
  • Leave bare soil or gravel around the base instead of mulch that holds moisture
  • Stop routine irrigation after the first year and water only during the longest dry spells

Through the seasons

Water a new creosote bush through its first year so roots reach down into the soil. After that it needs little or no irrigation in its native deserts, and regular water does more harm than good. The shrub stays evergreen, blooming in spring and again after summer rains. Where rain is frequent, sharp drainage matters more than ever. WUCOLS rates creosote bush very low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in the high desert. It rates low water on the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert.

In pots

Creosote bush resents steady moisture, so a pot is only a short stop before planting. Use a deep container with drainage holes and a sandy, fast-draining mix. In summer, water deeply only after the mix has dried most of the way down, checking every few days. Never leave water in the saucer. Plant it out within a season, since roots in a pot are hard to keep on the dry side without stressing the plant.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
0.27gal per sq ft in JulyVery low water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
1.71 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.280.570.851.10.04JAN0.07FEB0.11MAR0.15APR0.21MAY0.25JUN0.27JUL0.24AUG0.18SEP0.12OCT0.06NOV0.03DEC0.280.570.851.10.04JFM0.15AMJ0.27JAS0.12OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 0.27 in Jul, 1.71 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Creosote Bush: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.040.310.310.070.31
Feb0.050.070.320.350.090.37
Mar0.090.110.460.520.150.61
Apr0.120.150.560.640.190.78
May0.150.210.640.780.240.98
Jun0.160.250.690.920.291.12
Jul0.160.270.7910.31.14
Aug0.150.240.740.930.281.04
Sep0.120.180.60.740.210.83
Oct0.090.120.460.530.150.6
Nov0.050.060.330.360.090.38
Dec0.030.030.260.270.070.27
Year1.21.716.27.372.138.43

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 16

Rated very low water in the Central Valley, like creosote bush. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

OleanderNerium oleander ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAgaveAgave americana (and thick-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCactusOpuntia spp. & cvs. (CA natives and non-natives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySpanish BroomSpartium junceumvery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPearl AcaciaAcacia podalyriifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBig SagebrushArtemisia tridentatavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Scrub OakQuercus berberidifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyNuttall's Scrub OakQuercus dumosavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple SageSalvia leucophylla ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlack SageSalvia mellifera ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBeaked YuccaYucca rostrata ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyToyonHeteromeles arbutifolia ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyFox Tail AgaveAgave attenuata (and thin-leaved relatives)very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySaltbushAtriplex (CA native species) & ssp. & cvs.very low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulyOak TreesQuercus agrifoliavery low water, Central Valley0.27 gal/sq ft in JulySalt CedarTamarix aphyllavery low water, Central Valley0.27 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 creosote bush, 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 creosote bush in summer?

In July, established creosote bush in loam needs a deep watering about once a month or less in the Central Valley, 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 creosote bush need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established creosote bush needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 0.4 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 creosote bush change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates creosote bush separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, very low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, very low water 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.

Why does my yard smell after it rains?

Creosote leaves are resinous, and a summer rain releases a clean, piney scent into the air. The scent is normal for the shrub. It does not mean the plant needs watering.

Should I water an established creosote bush?

Rarely. It loves drought and dislikes regular rainfall or irrigation after its first year. Save water for an extreme dry spell, and give a slow, deep soak.

How old can creosote bush get?

Some clonal rings of creosote in the desert are thought to be about 11,700 years old, among the oldest living things known. A garden plant grows slowly, about a foot a year at most.

Can I make tea from creosote leaves?

Use caution. Leaf preparations have been linked to liver damage with repeated use. Enjoy the plant in the garden rather than as a remedy.

Can you overwater creosote bush?

Yes, and it is the most common way to lose one. Regular irrigation after the first year weakens it, especially in heavy soil. Water deeply and seldom, then let the soil dry completely.

More plant watering guides

Interior Live OakBlue OakNuttall's Scrub OakVariegated Century PlantDesert AgaveThread Leaf AgavePalmer AgaveButterfly Agave

Sources