WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Salvia pratensis haematodes, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Haematodes meadow sage in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Haematodes meadow sage in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Haematodes meadow sage is a clump-forming perennial with a low rosette of large, dark green, aromatic leaves. Branched sprays of pale lavender-blue flowers rise on stems up to about 3 feet in summer. It wants sun and light, humus-rich soil that drains well. It can be short lived, and its roots and crown are prone to rot in soggy ground.

PerennialShrubRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Haematodes meadow sage, 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 Haematodes meadow sage 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 inches down around the clump signals that meadow sage needs a soak during bloom
  • Large basal leaves wilting into the evening over dry soil can indicate thirst
  • A soft, darkened crown or stems collapsing at the base over wet soil point to foot and root rot
  • A white powdery film on the leaves is powdery mildew, which more water will not cure
  • One stem wilting while the others stay fine can point to Verticillium wilt rather than a dry root zone

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the clump with drip or a watering can, keeping the leaf rosette dry
  • Moisten the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, then let the top inch or two dry before the next watering
  • Plant in light, humus-rich soil that drains freely, raising the bed where clay stays wet
  • Keep mulch thin and pulled back from the crown
  • Cut back faded flower spikes to prolong bloom, and keep watering steady while new spikes form

Through the seasons

Keep new plants evenly moist until they root in. Established clumps take deeper watering through late spring and summer, when the flower spikes rise. Cutting faded spikes back prolongs flowering. As a herbaceous perennial it dies back in winter, when it needs little water. WUCOLS rates this sage moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert. Winter rain usually covers the resting clump on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Haematodes meadow sage grows well in a deep container on a sunny patio. Use a light, well-drained mix with some compost and a pot with open holes. Check the top inch or two every few days in summer heat and water when it is dry. Let water run through, then empty the saucer so the crown never sits wet. Trim faded spikes to keep flowers coming. The top dies back for winter, so water sparingly until new leaves appear.

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

Haematodes Meadow Sage: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78––
Feb0.530.650.810.87––
Mar0.871.091.151.3––
Apr1.181.521.41.61––
May1.462.081.611.95––
Jun1.612.481.742.29––
Jul1.612.671.982.51––
Aug1.492.391.862.33––
Sep1.241.81.491.86––
Oct0.871.181.151.33––
Nov0.470.560.840.9––
Dec0.310.340.650.68––
Year1217.1115.518.41––

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 Haematodes meadow sage. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyDahliasDahlia spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.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 JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCalla LiliesZantedeschia aethiopica SHADE IN DESERTmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Haematodes meadow sage in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

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 JulyAgapanthusAgapanthus orientalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGeraniumsPelargonium x hortorum and 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 JulyIrisesIris germanicalow 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 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 July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Haematodes meadow sage, 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 Haematodes meadow sage in summer?

In July, established Haematodes meadow sage in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 Haematodes meadow sage need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Haematodes meadow sage needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 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 Haematodes meadow sage change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Haematodes meadow sage 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, moderate 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 do I keep meadow sage blooming longer?

Cut back the flower spikes as they fade. New spikes often follow, so keep the soil evenly moist while they form.

Why is my meadow sage dying after a few years?

It can be short lived, and foot and root rots are a common cause of decline. Soggy soil around the crown raises that risk. Replant in lighter, well-drained soil, or start new plants from seed.

Is Haematodes meadow sage good for pollinators?

Yes. It is listed as a plant for pollinators, and its open sprays of lipped flowers suit wildlife gardens. Keep it blooming with steady summer moisture and deadheading.

Can you overwater meadow sage?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil and is susceptible to foot and root rots. Let the top of the soil dry between waterings, and keep it away from frequently watered lawn edges.

Does meadow sage need full sun?

It does best in full sun but tolerates light partial shade. Shade slows drying, so check the soil before watering a plant in a shadier spot.

More plant watering guides

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Sources