WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Streptosolen jamesonii, WUCOLS IV

How often to water marmalade bush in California

In July on the north-central coast, established marmalade bush in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Marmalade bush is a rambling evergreen shrub from the open woodlands of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, in the nightshade family. Its small, wrinkled leaves cover sprawling branches tipped with orange bell flowers from spring to fall. It wants regular water and soil that drains well. Frost is a bigger threat to it than a missed watering.

ShrubRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water marmalade bush, 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 marmalade bush 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 2 to 3 inches down under the sprawling branches means it is time to water
  • Limp leaves and drooping shoot tips in afternoon heat, with dry soil below, point to a thirsty root zone
  • Fine pale stippling on the small leaves, sometimes with webbing, points to spider mites, which hit water-stressed plants hardest
  • Yellowing leaves over soil that stays wet for days point to poor drainage rather than thirst
  • Stems and leaves killed back after a frost are cold damage, not thirst, and frozen plants often resprout

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the plant with drip or a slow hose, moistening the soil under the whole spread of branches
  • Soak until water reaches about a foot down, then let the top couple of inches dry before watering again
  • Spread wood chip or bark mulch under the branches, a few inches back from the main stems
  • Plant in fertile loam or sandy soil that drains well, and avoid low spots where winter water stands
  • Widen the watered area as the branches scramble outward or climb a wall or trellis

Through the seasons

Water a new marmalade bush regularly through its first summer while its roots spread. Established plants still want regular water, since this is not a dry garden shrub. It is evergreen and blooms from spring into fall, so summer soil checks matter most. Frost near 30°F can kill it back, and plants often regrow to full size within a season. Winter rain covers the cool months on the north-central coast and the south coast, where WUCOLS rates it moderate water. It rates high water in South Inland, where hot summers call for closer soil checks. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Marmalade bush is a long-time greenhouse and container plant, and a pot lets you move it out of frost. Use a large pot, since the branches sprawl several feet. Check the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer, and daily during South Inland heat. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer. A pot that dries out often leaves the plant stressed and open to spider mites. In winter, water less as growth slows, and move the pot to a sheltered spot before frosty nights.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Marmalade Bush for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Marmalade Bush as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Marmalade Bush: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.781.24––
Feb0.53–0.811.39––
Mar0.87–1.152.08––
Apr1.18–1.42.58––
May1.46–1.613.12––
Jun1.61–1.743.67––
Jul1.61–1.984.02––
Aug1.49–1.863.72––
Sep1.24–1.492.98––
Oct0.87–1.152.13––
Nov0.47–0.841.44––
Dec0.31–0.651.09––
Year12–15.529.46––

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 not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like marmalade bush. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Chenille PlantAcalypha hispidanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCopperleafAcalypha wilkesiananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMagic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHawaiian TiCordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWeeping Chinese BanyanFicus benjaminanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRubber PlantFicus elasticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFranklin TreeFranklinia alatamaha (Gordonia alatamaha)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJungle GeraniumIxora coccineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrange JessamineMurraya paniculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCommon GuavaPsidium guajavanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrgan Pipe CactusStenocereus thurberi (Lemaireocereus thurberi)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGiant Bird of ParadiseStrelitzia nicolai (shade in desert)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes marmalade bush, 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 marmalade bush in summer?

In July, established marmalade bush in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 5 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 marmalade bush need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established marmalade bush needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 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 marmalade bush change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates marmalade bush separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, high 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.

Why is it called marmalade bush?

Its flowers open yellow orange and age to deep orange red. Old and new flowers mix on the branch tips, which gives the plant its marmalade look. Bloom runs from spring into fall.

Will marmalade bush survive frost?

It stays evergreen only to about 30°F, so it does best in frost-free gardens. A plant that freezes back often resprouts and regrows to full size within a season. Where frost is a risk, plant it against a sheltering wall.

Can marmalade bush climb?

It is a scrambling shrub rather than a true vine. Without support it grows about 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. Tied to a wall or trellis it can reach about 15 feet.

Why are the leaves on my marmalade bush speckled?

Fine pale stippling, often with webbing, points to spider mites. They build up on water-stressed plants and in dusty conditions. Keep the soil evenly watered and wash the leaves with a forceful spray of water.

Where does marmalade bush grow best in California?

It grows outdoors in much of coastal California south of San Francisco. Give it full coastal sun or part shade and regular water. Frost-free gardens suit it best, since cold nights kill it back.

More plant watering guides

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Sources