WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Phyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water lippia groundcover in California

In July in the Central Valley, established lippia groundcover in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Lippia groundcover forms a dense mat only an inch or two high on stems that root as they creep. Tiny verbena-like flowers in white to pink cover it from April through summer and draw bees and butterflies. It is a low water groundcover for sun to light shade, tolerant of most soils, including poor drainage and saline ground.

Ground coverCalifornia nativeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water lippia groundcover, 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 lippia groundcover 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 mat in a hot spell signals lippia groundcover can take a soak
  • Leaves turning dull and the mat thinning in summer heat can indicate thirst
  • Brown patches in winter in cold spots are normal dieback that recovers in spring
  • Soft, rotting patches where water stands for days point to too much water

How to water it

  • Water the mat with a low spray or in-line drip, soaking the whole area evenly
  • Wet the soil several inches down, then let it dry before the next watering
  • Plant in sun to light shade in almost any soil, including slopes
  • Mow occasionally if you want to remove flowers where bees are a concern
  • Keep it edged, since stems root and spread quickly

Through the seasons

Water a new planting regularly until the stems root and the mat closes in. Established mats are low water and handle both drought and occasional flooding. Flowers run from April through summer and continue on the outer edges into fall. In colder spots it may die back somewhat in winter but recovers the next spring. WUCOLS rates lippia groundcover low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Lippia groundcover spills well over the edge of a wide, shallow container. Use any well-drained mix and water when the top inch dries, letting the extra drain away. In summer, a shallow pot may need water every couple of days. Keep the saucer empty. Trim stems that trail too far. In winter, the mat may die back in cold spots, so water only lightly until spring growth starts.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.270.540.801.10.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.270.540.801.10.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Lippia Groundcover: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.31––
Feb0.210.260.320.35––
Mar0.350.430.460.52––
Apr0.470.610.560.64––
May0.580.830.640.78––
Jun0.640.990.690.92––
Jul0.641.070.791––
Aug0.60.950.740.93––
Sep0.50.720.60.74––
Oct0.350.470.460.53––
Nov0.190.220.330.36––
Dec0.120.140.260.27––
Year4.86.846.27.37––

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 low water in the Central Valley, like lippia groundcover. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus 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 JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low 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 JulyGround Morning GloryConvolvulus mauritanicuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock CotoneasterCotoneaster horizontalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySouth African GeraniumPelargonium sidoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRock SoapwortSaponaria ocymoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyMother of ThymeThymus praecoxlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyVancouver Jade BearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade'low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTrailing LantanaLantana montevidensis (sellowiana) ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGermanderTeucrium chamaedrys ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBigleaf PeriwinkleVinca majorlow 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 lippia groundcover, 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 lippia groundcover in summer?

In July, established lippia groundcover in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 lippia groundcover need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established lippia groundcover needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.4 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 lippia groundcover change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates lippia groundcover separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low 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.

Can lippia replace a lawn?

It is used as a low groundcover on slopes and in open areas. It can be mowed occasionally. Water the whole mat evenly.

Does lippia attract bees?

Yes, bees and butterflies are highly attracted to its flowers. Mow to remove flowers where bees are a concern. Water early in the day to avoid them.

Why does my lippia look brown in winter?

It may die back somewhat in winter in colder locations. It recovers the following spring. Water lightly until new growth appears.

Can lippia grow in salty or soggy soil?

Yes, it tolerates poor drainage and saline soils. It handles both drought and flooding. Very soggy spots may still thin out.

How fast does lippia spread?

Its stems root at the nodes, and a planting can cover several feet in a single season. Edge it to keep it out of beds. Water the whole mat evenly.

More plant watering guides

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Sources