How often to water pelican flower in California
In July in the South Inland zone, established pelican flower in loam needs a deep watering about every 9 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.8 gallons a week. Pelican flower is a fast-growing evergreen vine from Central and South America that twines up a trellis or arbor. In summer it opens huge, pouch-shaped burgundy flowers netted with ivory veins, with a strong smell that draws flies. It wants soil that stays evenly moist but drains well, and it should not be left to dry out.
How often to water pelican flower, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry 2 inches down at the base of the vine means it is time to water, since this vine dislikes dry soil
- Large heart-shaped leaves that hang limp in afternoon heat, with dry soil below, point to thirst
- Wilting in full sun on hot inland days, even with moist soil, suggests the vine wants some shade
- Yellowing leaves while the soil stays soggy for days point to poor drainage rather than thirst
- Blackened, collapsed growth after a cold night is frost damage, not a watering fault
How to water it
- Set drip emitters around the base of the vine and water the soil, not the foliage on the trellis
- Soak slowly until moisture reaches about 12 inches down, then water again once the top inch or two dries
- Plant in moderately fertile, well-drained soil beside a sturdy trellis, arbor or other support
- Spread mulch over the root zone to slow drying, keeping it a few inches from the stem
- Give the vine less water in winter than in the summer growing season
Through the seasons
Water a new pelican flower steadily through its first summer while it climbs and roots in. Established vines still want evenly moist soil through the growing season. This evergreen flowers in summer, and its papery seed capsules ripen in late summer. Water more sparingly in winter. The vine does not survive temperatures below about 30 degrees F, so cover it on cold nights. WUCOLS rates it moderate water in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the south coast, the high desert or the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast or the Central Valley.
In pots
Pelican flower can grow in a large container with its own trellis, which also lets you move it under shelter on frosty nights. Use a well-drained potting mix and a pot with open drainage holes. Check the mix 1 to 2 inches down every few days in summer, and daily in South Inland heat. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer. Do not let a potted vine dry out in the growing season. In winter, water more sparingly and let the top of the mix dry first.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Pelican Flower as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Pelican Flower: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | – | – | 0.78 | – | – |
| Feb | – | – | – | 0.87 | – | – |
| Mar | – | – | – | 1.3 | – | – |
| Apr | – | – | – | 1.61 | – | – |
| May | – | – | – | 1.95 | – | – |
| Jun | – | – | – | 2.29 | – | – |
| Jul | – | – | – | 2.51 | – | – |
| Aug | – | – | – | 2.33 | – | – |
| Sep | – | – | – | 1.86 | – | – |
| Oct | – | – | – | 1.33 | – | – |
| Nov | – | – | – | 0.9 | – | – |
| Dec | – | – | – | 0.68 | – | – |
| Year | – | – | – | 18.41 | – | – |
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 10
Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like pelican flower. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Golden Trumpet VineAllamanda catharticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Wax PlantHoya carnosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Flame VinePyrostegia venustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Cup-of-Gold VineSolandra maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Madagascar JasmineStephanotis floribundanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Black-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Sky Flower VineThunbergia grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Coral VineAntigonon leptopusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Queen's WreathPetrea volubilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Beauverd's Widow's-ThrillKalanchoe beauverdiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes pelican flower, 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 much water does pelican flower need per day?
In July in the South Inland zone, established pelican flower needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.0 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 pelican flower change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates pelican flower separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated 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.
Is pelican flower poisonous?
Yes. All parts contain aristolochic acid, and eating any part can cause irreversible kidney failure. Keep it away from children and pets, and wear gloves when you handle it.
Does pelican flower feed pipevine swallowtail caterpillars?
No. The butterflies lay eggs on it, but the leaves are too toxic and the caterpillars die within about three days. Pipevines native to the United States serve as their host plants instead.
Why do pelican flower blooms smell bad?
The strong scent lures flies, which pollinate the flowers. Each fly is briefly trapped inside the pouch, then released dusted with pollen. Site the vine away from windows and seating if the odor bothers you.
When should I prune pelican flower?
Prune if needed in late winter or early spring. Cut back stems that have outgrown the support. Wear gloves, since the whole plant is toxic.
Can pelican flower take frost?
No. It is a tropical vine that dies at temperatures below about 30 degrees F. Cover it, or move a potted vine under shelter, when frost is forecast.
Does pelican flower need full sun?
It grows in full sun to part shade. In hot inland gardens it does better with some shade. A shaded vine dries more slowly, so check the soil before watering.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Aristolochia gigantea, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf