WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Armeria maritima, WUCOLS IV

How often to water sea pink in California

In July in the Central Valley, established sea pink 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. Sea pink, or sea thrift, is a low, tufted perennial native to coastal bluffs and dunes from central California to Alaska and in Europe. Grass-like leaves form a slow-spreading cushion 4 to 6 inches tall. Round heads of pink or white flowers rise above it on bare stems in spring. It wants cool sun, fast drainage and regular water away from the coast.

PerennialCalifornia nativeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water sea pink, 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 sea pink 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 an inch down around the cushion in summer means it is time to water, especially in inland gardens
  • Rotting, collapsing tufts in soggy soil point to root rot from too much water
  • Only scattered flowers after the spring flush are normal, since its repeat bloom is sporadic
  • Chewed leaves and slime trails come from slugs and snails rather than a watering problem
  • A white, powdery film on the leaves is powdery mildew, not thirst

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the tufts with drip or a gentle stream rather than overhead spray
  • Moisten the top 4 to 6 inches of soil, then let the surface dry before the next watering
  • Plant where drainage is fast, such as a rock garden, a gravel bed or the gaps in a flagstone path
  • Give it full sun along the coast and part shade inland
  • Water a slightly wider circle as the cushion slowly spreads, up to about 18 inches across

Through the seasons

Water new plants regularly until they root in and begin to spread, which happens slowly. The main bloom comes in spring, roughly April and May, with scattered flowers into fall. On the immediate coast, where it grows wild, it thrives in cool sun with little fuss. Inland it needs regular water and some shade to hold up through summer heat. WUCOLS rates sea pink moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. South Inland, the high desert and the low desert share that moderate water rating. Winter rain usually covers it on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Sea pink suits a shallow pot or trough, where its tidy cushion and round flower heads show off. Use a gritty, fast-draining mix and a container with drainage holes. In summer heat, check the mix every day or two and water when the top inch is dry. Let water drain away, and never leave the pot in a full saucer, since soggy mix leads to root rot. Inland, move the pot into afternoon shade. In winter, water sparingly.

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
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Sea Pink: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.530.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.871.091.151.31.461.52
Apr1.181.521.41.611.891.95
May1.462.081.611.952.392.45
Jun1.612.481.742.292.852.79
Jul1.612.671.982.513.042.85
Aug1.492.391.862.332.792.6
Sep1.241.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.871.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.470.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.310.340.650.680.650.68
Year1217.1115.518.4121.2721.08

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 sea pink. 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 sea pink 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 sea pink, 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 sea pink in summer?

In July, established sea pink 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 sea pink need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates sea pink separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate 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, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Can sea pink grow at the beach?

Yes. It is native to coastal bluffs and dunes and tolerates salt spray and seaside conditions. Sandy, fast-draining soil near the shore suits it well.

Can I walk on sea pink?

It tolerates some foot traffic and works well between flagstones. Set stepping stones where people walk often, and let the cushions fill the gaps.

Is sea pink drought tolerant?

Only on the immediate coast. Inland it needs regular water and cannot be pushed into a dry garden. Plan for steady watering away from the shore.

Does sea pink grow in shade?

It grows best in full sun along the coast. Inland, part shade protects it from heat. Dappled light also works.

Can you overwater sea pink?

Yes. Too much water causes root rot, especially in soil that drains slowly. Let the surface dry between waterings and keep pots off full saucers.

When does sea pink bloom?

The main show comes in spring, with round flower heads on bare stems about a foot tall. A few more flowers may appear through fall.

More plant watering guides

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Sources