WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Euonymus japonicus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water evergreen euonymus in California

In July in the Central Valley, established evergreen euonymus in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 3.0 gallons a week. Evergreen euonymus is a dense, oval shrub or small tree with waxy, dark green leaves, and many garden forms are variegated. It takes heavy pruning, so it is often sheared into hedges. It adapts to many soils, including clay, but does poorly in wet ground, and it makes a good seaside plant with moderate salt spray tolerance.

ShrubRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water evergreen euonymus, 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 evergreen euonymus 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

  • Soil dry 3 to 4 inches down at the drip line means evergreen euonymus is ready for water
  • Leaves that lose their gloss and stay limp after a hot afternoon point to dry roots
  • A white powdery film on the leaves is powdery mildew, a common problem that watering at the roots does not fix
  • White or brown specks massed on stems and leaf undersides point to euonymus scale, not thirst
  • Yellowing leaves and dieback in ground that stays wet can follow poor drainage, which this shrub dislikes

How to water it

  • Water evergreen euonymus along the base of the shrub or hedge row with drip line, not overhead spray
  • Soak the root zone 12 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next watering
  • Plant it in sun or shade, giving it afternoon shade in hot inland summers
  • Use soil that drains, mounding clay beds slightly so water does not stand at the stems
  • Add drip line on both sides of a hedge as it thickens and widens

Through the seasons

Water a new evergreen euonymus regularly through its first summer while roots grow beyond the planting hole. Established shrubs keep their leaves all year and need deeper, less frequent soakings. Small spring flowers lead to capsules that split to show orange-red seeds. Irrigation matters most from late spring through early fall, especially in hot inland gardens. WUCOLS rates evergreen euonymus low water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It rates moderate water on the south coast, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert.

In pots

Evergreen euonymus can grow in a large pot or planter box, and compact forms suit smaller spaces. Use a container with drainage holes and a mix that does not stay soggy. When summer heat sets in, check 2 inches down every few days and water once that layer dries. Let water run through, then empty the saucer. In winter, cut back on water, and check the mix after storms so it does not sit wet.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Evergreen Euonymus: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.780.780.740.78
Feb0.210.260.810.870.930.93
Mar0.350.431.151.31.461.52
Apr0.470.611.41.611.891.95
May0.580.831.611.952.392.45
Jun0.640.991.742.292.852.79
Jul0.641.071.982.513.042.85
Aug0.60.951.862.332.792.6
Sep0.50.721.491.862.142.08
Oct0.350.471.151.331.461.49
Nov0.190.220.840.90.930.96
Dec0.120.140.650.680.650.68
Year4.86.8415.518.4121.2721.08

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 low water in the Central Valley, like evergreen euonymus. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow 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 evergreen euonymus, 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 evergreen euonymus in summer?

In July, established evergreen euonymus in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 evergreen euonymus need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established evergreen euonymus needs about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 1.7 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 evergreen euonymus change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates evergreen euonymus separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water 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.

Why does my euonymus have white powder on the leaves?

That is powdery mildew, a frequent problem on this shrub. Thin crowded growth to improve air flow, and water at the base. Mildew is not a sign that the plant needs more water.

What are the white specks on my euonymus stems?

Those are likely euonymus scale, a common pest of this shrub. Heavy infestations weaken it, so treat the scale separately from any watering change.

Can evergreen euonymus grow near the ocean?

Yes. It is a good seaside plant with moderate tolerance of salt spray. Judge watering by how fast the soil dries in your spot.

How do I water a euonymus hedge?

Run drip line along both sides of the row so water reaches the full root zone. Check the soil midway between plants before each soak. A freshly sheared hedge pushes new growth, so keep the soil from drying out completely afterward.

Can you overwater evergreen euonymus?

Yes. It does not do well in wet conditions. Let the top few inches dry between soakings, and fix low spots where water stands.

Is evergreen euonymus poisonous?

Yes. All parts are poisonous if eaten in quantity, causing vomiting and diarrhea among other symptoms. Keep children and pets from chewing the seeds and leaves.

More plant watering guides

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Sources