WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cota tinctoria (Anthemis tinctoria), WUCOLS IV

How often to water golden marguerite in California

In July in the Central Valley, established golden marguerite in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.9 gallons a week. Golden marguerite is a clump-forming perennial daisy with finely divided leaves, green above and downy gray beneath. Golden yellow flowers cover upright stems in summer. It wants full sun and well-drained soil, and a hard cut after flowering encourages the low growth that carries it through winter.

PerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water golden marguerite, 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 golden marguerite 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 foot 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 beside the clump in summer means golden marguerite is ready for water
  • Leaves curling and the clump wilting in afternoon heat over dry soil can show thirst
  • Blackened, rotting stems at the base in wet clay point to poor drainage
  • White powdery patches on the leaves point to powdery mildew rather than a lack of water
  • A clump that dies out after flowering may simply lack the basal growth a hard cutback encourages

How to water it

  • Water golden marguerite at the base of the clump, keeping the downy leaves dry
  • Soak the soil about 8 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before watering again
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, adding grit or planting on a mound in heavy clay
  • Use a light gravel mulch so the crown stays dry
  • Water a slightly wider circle as the clump spreads, and around new divisions in spring

Through the seasons

Water a new golden marguerite regularly through its first summer until the clump roots in. Established plants need soil checks during summer bloom, when the flowering stems draw the most water. A hard cut after flowering encourages basal growth that overwinters and keeps the plant going. Its water needs fall once flowering ends and the weather cools. Coastal and Central Valley winters are usually wet enough to carry it. In WUCOLS it is moderate water in the Central Valley, on the south coast and on the north-central coast. It has not been evaluated for South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Golden marguerite fits a medium pot of free-draining mix in full sun. In summer, poke a finger into the mix every few days, and once the top 2 inches are dry, give it a full drink. Empty the saucer afterward so the crown does not sit wet. Cut the plant back hard after flowering to push fresh basal growth. In winter, water sparingly and only once the mix has dried.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Golden Marguerite: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78–––
Feb0.530.650.81–––
Mar0.871.091.15–––
Apr1.181.521.4–––
May1.462.081.61–––
Jun1.612.481.74–––
Jul1.612.671.98–––
Aug1.492.391.86–––
Sep1.241.81.49–––
Oct0.871.181.15–––
Nov0.470.560.84–––
Dec0.310.340.65–––
Year1217.1115.5–––

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like golden marguerite. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

DahliasDahlia spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernsNephrolepis cordifolia (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDayliliesHemerocallis spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBegoniasBegonia & ssp. & cvs. (shade in the desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBicolor MonkshoodAconitum cammarummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGarden MonkshoodAconitum napellusmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCarpet BugleAjuga reptans (shade)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySnowdrop WindflowerAnemone sylvestrismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain SandwortArenaria montanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySwamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyOrange MilkweedAsclepias tuberosamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGreater MasterwortAstrantia majormoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHardy BegoniaBegonia grandismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWax BegoniaBegonia semperflorensmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than golden marguerite in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

AgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyIrisesIris germanicalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyYarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain AlyssumAlyssum montanumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver SageSalvia argentealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPurple MulleinVerbascum phoeniceumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilvery YarrowAchillea clavennaelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFern Leaf YarrowAchillea filipendulinalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCalifornia Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWoolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPerennial HollyhockAlcea rosea cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMountain Lady's MantleAlchemilla alpinalow 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 golden marguerite, 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 golden marguerite in summer?

In July, established golden marguerite in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley and about every 7 days on the south coast. 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 golden marguerite need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established golden marguerite needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.1 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 golden marguerite change across California?

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

Should I cut back golden marguerite after flowering?

Yes. Cutting it back hard once blooms fade pushes new growth from the base, and that growth carries the plant through winter. Water the regrowth if the soil is dry.

Is golden marguerite the same as Anthemis tinctoria?

Yes. It is sold as both Cota tinctoria and Anthemis tinctoria, and it is also called dyer's chamomile. Care is the same under either name.

Can golden marguerite grow in poor soil?

Yes, as long as the soil drains well. Lean, gritty ground suits it better than rich, wet beds. Skip heavy feeding and water when the top few inches dry.

Can you overwater golden marguerite?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and a crown kept wet can rot. Let the upper soil dry between soakings.

How do I propagate golden marguerite?

Divide clumps in spring, take basal cuttings from late spring into early summer, or sow seed in spring. Keep divisions and cuttings evenly moist until they root.

More plant watering guides

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Sources