WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Artemisia frigida, WUCOLS IV

How often to water fringed sage in California

In July in the Central Valley, established fringed sage 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. Fringed sage is a low, tufted perennial, woody at the base, grown for its silky, light gray leaves cut into thread-like lobes. It stays under about a foot tall and keeps some leaves through mild winters. Small yellow flower heads appear in loose clusters. It needs sun and well-drained soil, and it can die back in heavy, wet ground.

ShrubRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water fringed sage, 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 fringed sage 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

  • Fringed sage holding its silky gray leaves through a dry spell needs no extra water
  • Stems dying back in heavy, wet soil point to poor drainage
  • A young plant wilting while the soil is dry an inch or two down needs a drink
  • Dead stems in spring are normal and can be cut away

How to water it

  • Water deeply but rarely once it is established
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil
  • Use it along edges, in rock gardens or in gravel
  • Remove dead stems and shoots in spring
  • Keep it away from sprinklers that keep the soil damp

Through the seasons

Water a new plant until roots take hold. Once established, it needs little water in most regions. It is semi-evergreen, and dead stems can be cleared in spring as new growth starts. Wet winter soil is the main risk, so drainage matters more than summer water. WUCOLS rates fringed sage low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, in South Inland, in the high desert and in the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the south coast.

In pots

Fringed sage suits a shallow pot or trough, where its fine silver leaves catch the light. Use a gritty, peat-free, free-draining mix. Water when the top couple of inches are dry, then let it drain fully. In summer, check every few days. Keep the saucer empty. Snip out dead stems in spring. In winter, water rarely and keep the pot out of steady rain.

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
0.300.610.921.20.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.300.610.921.20.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Fringed Sage: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.16–0.310.30.31
Feb0.210.26–0.350.370.37
Mar0.350.43–0.520.580.61
Apr0.470.61–0.640.760.78
May0.580.83–0.780.950.98
Jun0.640.99–0.921.141.12
Jul0.641.07–11.221.14
Aug0.60.95–0.931.121.04
Sep0.50.72–0.740.860.83
Oct0.350.47–0.530.580.6
Nov0.190.22–0.360.370.38
Dec0.120.14–0.270.260.27
Year4.86.84–7.378.518.43

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 low water in the Central Valley, like fringed sage. 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 fringed sage, 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 fringed sage in summer?

In July, established fringed sage in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley 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 fringed sage need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established fringed sage 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 fringed sage change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates fringed sage separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, 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.

What other names does fringed sage have?

It is also called mountain sage, pasture sagebrush, silky wormwood and wild sage. Its botanical name is Artemisia frigida. It is not a Salvia.

How big does fringed sage get?

It reaches about a foot tall and spreads up to about a foot and a half. It forms a low tuft. Use it at the front of a bed.

Why is my fringed sage dying in winter?

It can die back in heavy, poorly drained soil. Cold, wet roots are the usual cause. Move it to a raised, gritty spot.

Does fringed sage have pests?

It is generally pest-free. Honey fungus can attack it. Good drainage keeps roots healthy.

How do I propagate fringed sage?

Grow it from seed or take softwood, greenwood or semi-ripe cuttings. Root cuttings in a free-draining mix. Keep them barely moist.

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Sources