WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Satureja mexicana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Mexican savory in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Mexican savory in loam needs a deep watering about every 22 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.5 gallons a week. Mexican savory is a low, evergreen subshrub from mountains of central and southern Mexico, 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Its small, dark green leaves give off a pleasant aroma when crushed. From summer into fall, pale orange tubular flowers with yellow throats cover the arching stems. It wants a warm spot and well-drained, rich soil.

PerennialRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Mexican savory, 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 Mexican savory 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

  • Mexican savory stems wilting while the soil is dry an inch or two down mean it needs water
  • Few flowers in deep shade point to too little sun
  • Stems rotting at the base in soggy soil point to poor drainage
  • Leaves blackened after a cold snap below about 20 degrees F point to frost damage

How to water it

  • Water at the base when the top inch or two of soil dries
  • Plant in a warm spot in full to part sun
  • Use rich, well-drained soil
  • Give regular to occasional water, a bit more in South Inland heat
  • Fit it into a tight spot near a path, where you can brush the leaves

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly until they root in. Established plants want regular to occasional water. It stays evergreen and blooms from summer into fall, with some flowers nearly all year near the coast. It is hardy to at least 20 degrees F. Winter rain covers its needs on the north-central coast. WUCOLS rates Mexican savory low water on the north-central coast. South Inland carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Mexican savory makes a good container plant, and its scented leaves are easy to enjoy up close. Use a rich, well-drained mix. Water when the top inch dries, until it drains through. In summer heat, check every day or two. Empty the saucer after watering. In winter, water only when the mix dries, and shelter the pot on frosty nights, since its cold limit is untested.

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

WUCOLS lists Mexican Savory as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Mexican Savory: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.15––0.78––
Feb0.21––0.87––
Mar0.35––1.3––
Apr0.47––1.61––
May0.58––1.95––
Jun0.64––2.29––
Jul0.64––2.51––
Aug0.6––2.33––
Sep0.5––1.86––
Oct0.35––1.33––
Nov0.19––0.9––
Dec0.12––0.68––
Year4.8––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 16

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like Mexican savory. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Lilyleaf LadybellsAdenophora liliifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingArnicaArnica montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFrilly BergeniaBergenia ciliatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCabbage on a StickBrighamia insignisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBasket PlantCallisia fragransnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingForest SedgeCarex sylvaticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella DracaenaDianella ensifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRusty FoxgloveDigitalis ferrugineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBig-Flowered FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWoolly FoxgloveDigitalis lanatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSunset FoxgloveDigitalis obscuranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMale FernDryopteris filix-masnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine Sea HollyEryngium alpinumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple SpurgeEuphorbia dulcisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen of the MeadowFilipendula ulmarianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDropwortFilipendula vulgaris (Filipendula hexapetala)not 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 Mexican savory, 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 Mexican savory need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Mexican savory needs about 0.1 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.3 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 Mexican savory change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Mexican savory separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated 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 Mexican savory an herb?

It is in the mint family and has aromatic leaves. In Mexico it is called toronjil de monte. It is grown here as an ornamental.

What other names does Mexican savory have?

It is also sold as Satureja mexicana. Its current name is Clinopodium mexicanum. Some call it orange-flowered Mexican savory.

How cold can Mexican savory take?

It has handled about 20 degrees F so far. Its full cold tolerance is untested. Protect it in hard frost.

When does Mexican savory bloom?

Flowers cover it from summer into fall. The orange flowers have yellow throats with fine orange veins. They are about an inch long.

Is Mexican savory easy to find?

It is relatively rare in cultivation. It has done well in coastal California gardens. Look for it at specialty nurseries.

More plant watering guides

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Sources