WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Leonotis leonurus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water lion's tail in California

In July in the Central Valley, established lion's tail 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. Lion's tail is an evergreen shrub from rocky grasslands of South Africa, 4 to 6 feet tall, with narrow dark green leaves. From late spring through fall, whorls of fuzzy, curved orange tubular flowers circle the upper stems and draw hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. It wants full sun and well-drained soil, and deer tend to leave it alone.

ShrubRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water lion's tail, 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 lion's tail 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 6 inches down under the shrub in summer means lion's tail can take a deep drink
  • Leaves drooping and flower whorls thinning in a long dry spell suggest thirst
  • Lower leaves yellowing and stems dying back in wet, heavy soil point to too much water
  • Stems blackened after a hard freeze point to cold damage, and new growth often follows

How to water it

  • Water deeply and rarely, letting the soil dry well between soakings
  • Soak the root zone 8 to 12 inches deep
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, with afternoon shade inland
  • Prune hard each year after flowering to keep it dense
  • Avoid heavy soil that stays wet in winter

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly through its first summer. Established shrubs are drought tolerant and need only occasional deep water, though they also accept regular irrigation. Wet winters in heavy soil can kill it, and hard frost burns it back, often followed by new shoots. WUCOLS rates lion's tail low water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley, and the south coast and South Inland share that low water rating. The high desert carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the low desert.

In pots

Lion's tail can grow in a large pot in full sun, which suits its need for drainage. Use a fast-draining mix. Water when the top few inches are dry, then let it drain fully. A big shrub in a pot dries quickly in summer, so check every few days. Never leave water in the saucer. Cut it back after bloom to keep the size in check. In winter, water only when the mix is dry.

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
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Lion's Tail: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.74–
Feb0.210.260.320.350.93–
Mar0.350.430.460.521.46–
Apr0.470.610.560.641.89–
May0.580.830.640.782.39–
Jun0.640.990.690.922.85–
Jul0.641.070.7913.04–
Aug0.60.950.740.932.79–
Sep0.50.720.60.742.14–
Oct0.350.470.460.531.46–
Nov0.190.220.330.360.93–
Dec0.120.140.260.270.65–
Year4.86.846.27.3721.27–

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 lion's tail. 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 lion's tail, 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 lion's tail in summer?

In July, established lion's tail in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast 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 lion's tail need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established lion's tail 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 lion's tail change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates lion's tail separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, moderate water 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.

Does lion's tail attract hummingbirds?

Yes, it is a magnet for hummingbirds, and bees and butterflies visit too. Flowers run from late spring through fall. Deer tend to leave it alone.

When should I prune lion's tail?

Prune it each year after flowering. Pruning keeps it denser and smaller. Water lightly as new growth starts.

Will lion's tail survive frost?

It stays evergreen to about 20 degrees F. If frost burns it back, it often resprouts from the woody base. Mulch the crown in cold spots.

Does lion's tail reseed?

It can occasionally reseed in the garden. Cut spent stems after bloom to limit seedlings. Pull unwanted ones while small.

Is lion's tail the same as lion's ear?

Lion's ear is a name used for this plant and also for a related annual. The two differ in habit. Check the botanical name on the label.

More plant watering guides

Sweet BayEnglish LavenderSpanish LavenderTrue MyrtleLimber PineChinese PistacheDwarf PomegranateChestnut-Leaved Oak

Sources