How often to water crimson glory vine in California
In July on the north-central coast, established crimson glory 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. Crimson glory vine is a vigorous deciduous grape relative from Japan and Korea that can climb to about 50 feet. Its huge, heart-shaped leaves, up to a foot long and felted brown beneath, turn scarlet and crimson in fall. Tiny summer flowers lead to small blue-black berries. It grows in sun or part shade in humus-rich, well-drained soil kept moist with mulch.
How often to water crimson glory vine, 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 1.5 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.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry 3 inches down at the base of the vine in summer signals crimson glory vine needs water
- Large leaves hanging limp through the afternoon can indicate thirst
- Leaves browning at the edges and dropping in late summer can follow a dry root zone
- White powdery patches on leaves point to powdery mildew rather than a water problem
How to water it
- Water the root zone at the base of the vine with drip or a slow hose
- Soak about a foot down, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
- Plant in humus-rich, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil
- Keep a thick mulch over the roots to hold moisture
- Give it a strong support, since the vine grows very large
Through the seasons
Water a new vine regularly through its first summer while it climbs. Established vines want deep soaks through dry summers and a thick mulch to keep the roots moist. It is deciduous, coloring brilliantly in fall and resting bare in winter. Prune in midwinter, and again in midsummer if you need to restrict growth. WUCOLS rates crimson glory vine moderate water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Crimson glory vine is too vigorous for most containers. A young one can still climb a trellis from a very large tub for a few years. Fill it with humus-rich, well-drained mix. Water whenever the top couple of inches feel dry, until water drains out. In summer it can dry out within a few days. Empty the saucer. Trim it in the dead of winter to keep it in bounds, and water only lightly while it is leafless.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Crimson Glory Vine as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Crimson Glory Vine: 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 10
Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like crimson glory vine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Variegated KiwiActinidia kolomiktanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Anemone ClematisClematis montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Privet-Leaved JasmineJasminum leratiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Chilean BellflowerLapageria roseanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Etruscan HoneysuckleLonicera etruscanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Tatarian HoneysuckleLonicera tataricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Golden Flame HoneysuckleLonicera x heckrottinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Brazilian NightshadeSolanum seaforthianumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Amur River GrapeVitis amurensisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Beach Morning GloryCalystegia soldanellanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes crimson glory 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 much water does crimson glory vine need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established crimson glory 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 crimson glory vine change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates crimson glory vine 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.
How big does crimson glory vine get?
It is a vigorous climber that can reach about 50 feet. Leaves can be a foot long. Give it a large, sturdy structure or a big tree to climb.
When does crimson glory vine color up?
Its leaves turn scarlet and crimson in autumn. Leaves then drop for winter.
Are crimson glory vine berries edible?
It bears small blue-black berries after tiny summer flowers. They are not grown for eating. Keep dogs from eating them, since the fruit can harm them.
When should I prune crimson glory vine?
Cut it back in the middle of winter while it is bare. If it outgrows its space in summer, trim again then. Water as usual after pruning.
What pests affect crimson glory vine?
Blister mites, spider mites, scale and powdery mildew can affect it. Good air flow helps against mildew. Water at the roots, not over the leaves.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Vitis coignetiae, 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