WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Tanacetum coccineum (Pyrethrum roseum), WUCOLS IV

How often to water painted daisy in California

In July on the north-central coast, established painted daisy in loam needs a deep watering about every 9 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Painted daisy, also called pyrethrum, is a bushy herbaceous perennial about 2 feet tall that forms a clump of ferny leaves. In early summer, stiff stems carry daisies in shades of pink, red or white around a yellow eye, and pollinating insects love them. It wants light, well-drained soil in full sun and makes a good cut flower.

PerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water painted daisy, 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 painted daisy 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

  • Light soil dry several inches down in spring means painted daisy can take a drink
  • Flower stems flopping before bloom can follow uneven watering or rich soil
  • Ferny leaves wilting in afternoon heat point to a dry root zone
  • A rotting crown in heavy, wet soil points to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water deeply, then let the soil dry well between waterings
  • Plant in full sun in light, well-drained, even gravelly soil
  • Stake tall stems before they flop
  • Deadhead to prolong flowering
  • Divide clumps in spring every few years

Through the seasons

Water new plants until roots establish. Established clumps want deep, infrequent water while they grow and bloom in early summer, and less once flowering ends. It dies back for winter and returns in spring. WUCOLS rates painted daisy moderate water on the north-central coast. On the south coast and in South Inland it carries a low water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley, and has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Painted daisy grows well in a pot on a sunny patio, where its bright daisies attract bees. Use a light, gritty, well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches are dry, until water drains out. In late spring and early summer, check every few days. Never leave the pot in water. Deadhead for more flowers. In winter, after it dies back, water very little.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Painted Daisy: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.310.31––
Feb0.53–0.320.35––
Mar0.87–0.460.52––
Apr1.18–0.560.64––
May1.46–0.640.78––
Jun1.61–0.690.92––
Jul1.61–0.791––
Aug1.49–0.740.93––
Sep1.24–0.60.74––
Oct0.87–0.460.53––
Nov0.47–0.330.36––
Dec0.31–0.260.27––
Year12–6.27.37––

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.

Plants with the same water needs 10

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

Desert RoseAdenium obesumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingKahili GingerHedychium gardnerianumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine ToadflaxLinaria alpinanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSkunk CabbageLysichiton americanusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEgyptian Star FlowerPentas lanceolatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSwedish IvyPlectranthus verticillatusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSolomon's SealPolygonatum odoratum (japonicum)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWandering JewTradescantia fluminensis (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMoses-in-the-CradleTradescantia spathacea (Rhoeo spathacea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHeath-Leafed BanksiaBanksia ericifolianot 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 painted daisy, 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 painted daisy in summer?

In July, established painted daisy in loam needs a deep watering about every 18 days on the south coast and about every 14 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 painted daisy need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established painted daisy needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 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 painted daisy change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates painted daisy 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, 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.

Does painted daisy need staking?

Plants may need staking, since tall stems can flop. Set stakes early in spring. Lean soil helps too.

When does painted daisy bloom?

It blooms in early summer on stiff, erect stems. Deadheading prolongs flowering. Cut flowers last well.

Is painted daisy good for pollinators?

Yes, its flowers are particularly attractive to pollinating insects. Plant it in groups. It suits wildlife and gravel gardens.

How do I divide painted daisy?

Divide clumps in spring, or take basal cuttings. Replant pieces at the same depth. Water them in well.

What pests bother painted daisy?

Aphids, chrysanthemum eelworm and leaf miners can appear. It is generally disease free. Check the undersides of leaves.

More plant watering guides

Heath-Leafed BanksiaTree BanksiaFirewood BanksiaPonytail PalmFlame TreeQueensland Bottle TreeSaguaroMoreton Bay Chestnut

Sources