WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Rohdea japonica, WUCOLS IV

How often to water rohdea in California

In July in the Central Valley, established rohdea 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. Rohdea, also called Japanese sacred lily, is a slow-growing clump of thick, rubbery, dark green leaves from the woodlands of China and Japan. Tiny greenish white flowers on short spikes give way to bright red berries that last into winter. It tolerates dry shade once settled, yet WUCOLS still rates it moderate water in three of its four rated zones.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water rohdea, 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 rohdea 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

  • Soil dry 2 to 3 inches down at the edge of the clump during warm weather means rohdea is ready for a soak
  • Leaves that lose their gloss and droop from the upright clump over dry soil point to thirst
  • Yellowing leaves and a soft base over soil that stays soggy point to overwatering or poor drainage
  • Ragged holes chewed in the leaves come from slugs and snails rather than a watering problem
  • Spotted, dying patches on the leaves can be a fungal disease, so cut out the affected parts rather than changing the watering

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the clump with drip or a hose held under the leaves, keeping the foliage dry
  • Soak the whole root zone, then let the top couple of inches dry before watering again
  • Work compost into the bed so the loamy soil stays rich yet drains well
  • Spread a layer of leaf mulch around the clump, keeping it off the base of the leaves
  • Under trees, give each clump its own drip emitter, since the tree roots compete for the same moisture

Through the seasons

Water a new rohdea whenever the top of its root ball dries during its first year, while the clump settles in. Established clumps tolerate dry shade and short dry spells. In mild winters the leaves stay green, and red berries color up in fall and hold through winter. In colder climates the foliage can die back. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates rohdea low water on the north-central coast. It rates moderate water 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.

In pots

Rohdea grows slowly and does well in containers, so one plant can stay in the same pot for years. Use a rich, well-drained mix and a pot with open drainage holes. Keep the pot in shade, and check the top inch or two every few days in summer heat. Water until it runs from the holes, then empty the saucer. Divide a crowded clump in spring. In winter the plant uses less, so let the mix dry a little more between waterings.

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

Rohdea: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.78––
Feb0.210.650.810.87––
Mar0.351.091.151.3––
Apr0.471.521.41.61––
May0.582.081.611.95––
Jun0.642.481.742.29––
Jul0.642.671.982.51––
Aug0.62.391.862.33––
Sep0.51.81.491.86––
Oct0.351.181.151.33––
Nov0.190.560.840.9––
Dec0.120.340.650.68––
Year4.817.1115.518.41––

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 rohdea. 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 rohdea 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 rohdea, 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 rohdea in summer?

In July, established rohdea in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 6 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 rohdea need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates rohdea separately for each of the six California climate zones: low 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.

Is rohdea a good plant for dry shade?

Yes, once it is established. It grows well in dry shade under trees and even tolerates black walnut. Give it regular water through its first year so the clump can settle.

Can rohdea grow in full sun?

No. Grow it in part shade or full shade. It tolerates even deep shade where few plants grow.

When does rohdea get red berries?

The small greenish white flowers are easy to miss. Bright red berries follow and color up in fall. They hold on through winter.

How do I divide rohdea?

Division is the best way to propagate it, since it is so slow growing. Lift and split a clump that has grown too large in spring. Water the new divisions in well.

Is rohdea deer resistant?

Yes. It is listed as resistant to deer and rabbits. Slugs and snails are the more likely chewers.

What are variegated rohdeas?

Japan has grown rohdea for over 500 years and has hundreds of named cultivars. Many have leaves banded or blotched with creamy white.

More plant watering guides

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Sources