WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pyrostegia venusta, WUCOLS IV

How often to water flame vine in California

In July on the south coast, established flame vine in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.4 gallons a week. Flame vine is a vigorous evergreen climber from Brazil that grips with tendrils and can cover a fence, arbor or small building. From fall into winter, and sometimes until May, it carries clusters of brilliant orange tubular flowers that hummingbirds visit. Older plants are quite drought tolerant, and it resprouts if frost nips it back.

VineRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water flame vine, 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 flame vine 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 inches down at the base in summer signals flame vine is ready for water
  • Leaves wilting at the vine tips through the afternoon can indicate thirst
  • Leaves curling and dropping inside the vine during a long dry spell can indicate drought stress
  • Yellowing leaves with soggy soil at the base suggest overwatering

How to water it

  • Water the root zone at the base with drip or a slow hose
  • Soak about a foot down, then let the top few inches dry
  • Plant in full sun or part shade, on a sturdy support
  • Prune after bloom to keep the vine open and in bounds
  • Mulch the base to protect roots from cold

Through the seasons

Water a new flame vine regularly through its first summer while it climbs. Established vines can be watered regularly or occasionally, and older plants are quite drought tolerant. It is evergreen, with flowers from fall through winter. It takes short dips to about 25 degrees F and resprouts if frozen back. WUCOLS rates flame vine moderate water on the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast, the Central Valley or the high desert.

In pots

Flame vine can grow in a large container with a strong trellis, though it is more vigorous in the ground. Use well-drained mix and water when the top couple of inches dry, letting it drain. In summer heat, check every few days. Empty the saucer. Prune after bloom so the vine does not outgrow its support. Protect the pot on frosty nights by moving it against a warm wall or under an eave.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Flame Vine for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Flame Vine as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Flame Vine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.780.78–0.78
Feb––0.810.87–0.93
Mar––1.151.3–1.52
Apr––1.41.61–1.95
May––1.611.95–2.45
Jun––1.742.29–2.79
Jul––1.982.51–2.85
Aug––1.862.33–2.6
Sep––1.491.86–2.08
Oct––1.151.33–1.49
Nov––0.840.9–0.96
Dec––0.650.68–0.68
Year––15.518.41–21.08

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 10

Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like flame vine. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Golden Trumpet VineAllamanda catharticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPelican FlowerAristolochia giganteanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWax PlantHoya carnosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCup-of-Gold VineSolandra maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar JasmineStephanotis floribundanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlack-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSky Flower VineThunbergia grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCoral VineAntigonon leptopusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen's WreathPetrea volubilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBeauverd's Widow's-ThrillKalanchoe beauverdiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes flame 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 often should I water flame vine in summer?

In July, established flame vine in loam needs a deep watering 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 flame vine need per day?

In July on the south coast, established flame vine needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.8 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 flame vine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates flame vine separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region 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.

When does flame vine bloom?

It blooms from fall through winter and often into spring. Flowers come in clusters of 15 to 20 at the branch tips. Hummingbirds visit them.

Will flame vine survive frost?

It handles short drops to about 25 degrees F. If frost nips it back, it resprouts from the ground. Mulch the base in cold spots.

How do I keep flame vine under control?

It is vigorous and will densely cover its support. Prune after flowering to keep it open. Cut back stems that reach roofs or gutters.

Can flame vine grow in the desert?

It is mainly a coastal plant, but it has been grown successfully in desert heat. Give it regular deep water there. Check the soil often in summer heat.

Does flame vine need much water?

Established plants are quite drought tolerant. Regular to occasional deep soaks keep it growing well. Avoid soggy soil.

More plant watering guides

Prostrate Natal PlumChenille PlantCopperleafSugar MapleDesert RoseQueensland KauriGolden Trumpet VineCherimoya

Sources