How often to water Gro-Low fragrant sumac in California
In July in the Central Valley, established Gro-Low fragrant sumac needs about 0.8 gallons a week for a plant 2 feet across. Gro-Low is a low, spreading form of fragrant sumac, a deciduous shrub native from eastern Canada to Mexico. Under 3 feet tall yet about 8 feet across, it roots where stems touch the soil and makes a strong slope cover. Small yellow flowers open before the leaves in early spring, and the lemon-scented leaves turn orange, red or red-purple in fall.
How often to water Gro-Low fragrant sumac, 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: the plant’s WUCOLS rating times your city’s climate for the month, over the area the plant covers. Skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Deep soil dry beneath a newly planted Gro-Low in summer heat means it can use a slow soak
- Leaves wilting on young plants in a heat wave can signal thirst
- Leaves coloring red in fall is normal, not stress
- Yellowing and dieback in poorly drained, soggy ground point to too much water
How to water it
- Water young plants deeply until stems spread and root in
- Once established, water rarely or not at all near the coast
- Plant in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil
- Use it on banks and slopes for erosion control
- Trim stray stems at the edges as needed
Through the seasons
Water new plantings through their first summer. Established plants are drought tolerant and need little or no summer water near the coast and only occasional soaks inland. Flowers open in early spring before the leaves, and fall brings bright foliage. WUCOLS rates Gro-Low fragrant sumac very low water on the south coast. On the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in South Inland it carries a low water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Gro-Low fragrant sumac can spill from a large planter or raised bed, where its spreading stems drape over the edge. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top few inches are dry, then let it drain. In summer, check pots every few days, since a container dries much faster than a slope. Never let water stand in the saucer. In winter, while it is bare, rain usually covers it.
- A year
- 6.84 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Gro-Low Fragrant Sumac: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.08 | 0.31 | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | 0.26 | 0.08 | 0.35 | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.11 | 0.52 | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | 0.61 | 0.14 | 0.64 | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | 0.83 | 0.16 | 0.78 | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | 0.99 | 0.17 | 0.92 | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | 1.07 | 0.2 | 1 | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | 0.95 | 0.19 | 0.93 | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | 0.72 | 0.15 | 0.74 | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | 0.47 | 0.11 | 0.53 | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | 0.22 | 0.08 | 0.36 | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.27 | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | 6.84 | 1.55 | 7.37 | – | – |
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.
Turn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Gro-Low fragrant sumac, 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 should I water Gro-Low fragrant sumac in summer?
In July, established Gro-Low fragrant sumac needs about 0.8 gallons in the Central Valley, 0.1 gallons on the south coast and 0.7 gallons in the South Inland zone each week, for a plant 2 feet across. Water deeply and let the top of the soil dry before the next watering. Skip a watering after a soaking rain.
How much water does Gro-Low fragrant sumac need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established Gro-Low fragrant sumac needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.4 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 Gro-Low fragrant sumac change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Gro-Low fragrant sumac separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, very low water in the South Coastal zone, low water 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 Gro-Low fragrant sumac get?
It stays under 3 feet tall but spreads about 8 feet. Stems root where they touch soil. It covers ground well.
Is Gro-Low good for slopes?
Yes, it is great for slopes and erosion control. It tolerates clay, dry and shallow rocky soil. Water it until established.
Why do the leaves smell like lemon?
Fragrant sumac leaves have a lemony scent when crushed. That gives the plant its name. It is a pleasant surprise in the garden.
Does Gro-Low fragrant sumac have fall color?
Yes, the leaves turn orange, red or reddish purple in fall. Female plants may carry small red berries. Leaves drop for winter.
Is fragrant sumac aggressive?
It is smaller and less aggressive than smooth or staghorn sumac. It spreads by suckers and rooting stems. Trim edges if needed.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low', 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