WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Anaphalis margaritacea, WUCOLS IV

How often to water pearly everlasting in California

In July in the Central Valley, established pearly everlasting 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. Pearly everlasting is a perennial native to North America, California included, with narrow, woolly gray foliage. Clusters of small white flower heads with yellow centers open in late summer. It grows wild from dry, sandy sites to creek sides. In gardens it handles drought yet tolerates regular water, as long as the soil drains well.

PerennialCalifornia nativeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water pearly everlasting, 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 pearly everlasting 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

  • Dry soil 2 to 3 inches down at the edge of the clump in summer means it is ready for a deep soak
  • Leaves dropping during a long dry spell show the plant shedding foliage under drought stress, so check the soil
  • Chewed leaves point to caterpillars, which feed on this plant, rather than to a watering problem
  • Soil that stays soggy for days after watering calls for better drainage, since pearly everlasting needs well-drained ground
  • A clump that struggles under trees may be short of light rather than water, since it does poorly in tree shade

How to water it

  • Water the base of the clump with drip or a slow hose, soaking the root zone rather than the foliage
  • Let the top few inches of soil dry between soaks, since it prefers somewhat dry, sandy conditions
  • Plant in full sun or light shade in well-drained soil; sand suits it, and it also tolerates clay
  • Skip fertilizer and rich amendments, since it tolerates poor, nutrient-deficient soil
  • Widen the watered area as runners extend the clump, and dig out pieces that stray past their space

Through the seasons

Water a new pearly everlasting regularly until it roots into the surrounding soil, then let established plants go longer between deep soaks. Flowers open in late summer and last about a month, and seed ripens in fall. Some plants overwinter as a low rosette of leaves, and the plant tolerates frost. Winter rain covers the cool months on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates pearly everlasting low water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley, where hot summers call for closer soil checks. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

In a container, pearly everlasting needs a well-drained mix and a pot with drainage holes. Feel the mix 2 inches down beside the stems every few days in summer heat, and more often in Central Valley sun. Once it is dry at that depth, water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer so the roots do not sit wet. Its spreading runners crowd a pot over time, so divide a crowded plant to make more room. In winter, check after rain before watering, and let the mix dry between soakings.

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

Pearly Everlasting: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.310.31––
Feb0.210.650.320.35––
Mar0.351.090.460.52––
Apr0.471.520.560.64––
May0.582.080.640.78––
Jun0.642.480.690.92––
Jul0.642.670.791––
Aug0.62.390.740.93––
Sep0.51.80.60.74––
Oct0.351.180.460.53––
Nov0.190.560.330.36––
Dec0.120.340.260.27––
Year4.817.116.27.37––

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 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like pearly everlasting. 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 pearly everlasting 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 pearly everlasting, 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 pearly everlasting in summer?

In July, established pearly everlasting in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, 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 pearly everlasting need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established pearly everlasting 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 pearly everlasting change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates pearly everlasting separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water 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.

Is pearly everlasting a California native?

Yes. It grows wild across much of North America, including California, where it occurs in coastal sage scrub, oak woodland and along rivers and creeks. It is a good fit for native and butterfly gardens.

Does pearly everlasting spread?

Yes. It spreads by runners and can spread aggressively where conditions suit it. Dig out or divide pieces at the edges to keep the clump in its space.

Do I need male and female pearly everlasting plants?

Only if you want seed. Each plant carries flowers of one sex, so seed needs both male and female plants. Division is the easy way to make more plants.

Will pearly everlasting grow in shade?

It takes light shade, but it prefers full sun. It does well in the shade of a building, though not in the shade of trees. A shaded spot stays damp longer, so check the soil before watering.

Why are my pearly everlasting leaves chewed?

Caterpillars can chew the leaves. It is a food plant for painted lady butterflies and is often recommended for butterfly gardens. Chewed leaves are not a sign of thirst, so leave the watering as it is.

More plant watering guides

Spiny RushJapanese KerriaHyacinth BeanSpotted DeadnettleGayfeatherChinese Sweet GumSweet GumTulip Tree

Sources