WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Helichrysum petiolare, WUCOLS IV

How often to water licorice plant in California

In July in the Central Valley, established licorice plant 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. Licorice plant is a sprawling evergreen shrub from drier parts of the Cape in South Africa, with soft, woolly, aromatic, silver-white leaves. In the open it mounds 2 to 4 feet tall and spreads much wider, and it will clamber up anything nearby. Tiny cream flowers appear in summer. It needs only occasional water in cool northern coastal gardens and more where summers are warm.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water licorice plant, 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 licorice plant 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

  • Silver leaves on licorice plant curling or going limp while the soil is dry an inch or two down mean it needs water
  • Leaves rotting at the center of the mound in soggy soil point to overwatering
  • Stems climbing into nearby shrubs mean it needs a trim, not more water
  • New shoots wilting by midday in inland heat point to a dry root zone

How to water it

  • Water at the base, not over the woolly leaves
  • Plant in sun or light shade in soil with excellent drainage
  • Water occasionally on the north-central coast and more often elsewhere
  • Cut it back when it climbs into neighboring plants
  • Bag trimmings, since stem pieces can root and spread

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly until roots spread. On the north-central coast, established plants need only occasional water. Elsewhere, steadier summer water keeps them full. It stays evergreen and blooms in summer, and winter rain covers the cool months. Frost in the mid 20s F can damage it. WUCOLS rates licorice plant low water on the north-central coast. The Central Valley, the south coast and South Inland carry the same moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Licorice plant is a favorite trailing filler in mixed containers, where its silver leaves soften the edges. Use a fast-draining mix. Water when the top inch dries, until it drains through. In inland summer heat, check every day or two. Keep the saucer empty so the stems never sit wet. Trim it often to keep it in scale with its pot partners. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

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

Licorice Plant: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.78––
Feb0.210.650.810.87––
Mar0.351.091.151.3––
Apr0.471.521.41.61––
May0.582.081.611.95––
Jun0.642.481.742.29––
Jul0.642.671.982.51––
Aug0.62.391.862.33––
Sep0.51.81.491.86––
Oct0.351.181.151.33––
Nov0.190.560.840.9––
Dec0.120.340.650.68––
Year4.817.1115.518.41––

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 licorice plant. 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 licorice plant 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 licorice plant, 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 licorice plant in summer?

In July, established licorice plant in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 6 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 licorice plant need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established licorice plant 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 licorice plant change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates licorice plant separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water 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, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is licorice plant invasive?

It spreads by seed and by stem pieces and can be invasive. It has displaced native plants in Bay Area coastal habitats. Gardeners there are asked not to plant it.

How big does licorice plant get?

Size varies from 1 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide or more. It climbs other plants for support. Give it more room than the nursery pot suggests.

Can licorice plant take shade?

It grows in sun or part shade. Excellent drainage matters most. In shade, water a little less.

Are there colored forms of licorice plant?

Yes, cultivars with chartreuse or variegated leaves exist. Care is the same as for the silver form. They also make good trailing fillers.

Is licorice plant frost hardy?

It takes light frost, down to the mid or upper 20s F. Harder frost damages the stems. Cold desert winters and hot desert summers are both outside its range.

More plant watering guides

Wood SageWestern Red CedarAmerican LindenLittle Leaf LindenChinese ToonPurple Heart SpiderwortChinese Tallow TreeAmerican Elm

Sources