WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Anemone sylvestris, WUCOLS IV

How often to water snowdrop windflower in California

In July in the Central Valley, established snowdrop windflower 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. Snowdrop windflower is a perennial anemone with long-stalked, deeply divided leaves and white flowers with golden stamens in late spring and early summer. It spreads quickly by root suckers into a loose patch. It wants humus-rich soil that stays moist but drains well, in sun or part shade.

PerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water snowdrop windflower, 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 snowdrop windflower 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 inches down in the patch means snowdrop windflower needs water
  • Leaves wilting in afternoon heat and staying limp into evening point to a dry root zone
  • A patch thinning out in a hot, sunny spot can show the soil is drying too fast
  • Yellowing leaves and soft crowns in soggy ground point to poor drainage
  • White powder on the leaves is powdery mildew, which this plant can get, rather than a water shortage

How to water it

  • Water snowdrop windflower at soil level across the whole patch with a soaker hose
  • Moisten the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, then let the surface inch dry before watering again
  • Plant in humus-rich, well-drained soil in sun or part shade, working compost into clay
  • Spread a thin compost mulch between the plants to hold moisture
  • Extend the soaker as root suckers carry the patch outward

Through the seasons

Water a new snowdrop windflower planting regularly until roots knit into the soil. Established patches need soil checks most from spring growth through bloom in late spring and early summer. Cut the plants back after flowering for a tidier patch. The leaves are deciduous, so water needs drop sharply in winter. Winter rain covers the dormant months on the coast and in the Central Valley in most years. On the south coast, the north-central coast and in the Central Valley, WUCOLS rates snowdrop windflower moderate water. For South Inland, the high desert and the low desert, WUCOLS marks it as not suited.

In pots

Snowdrop windflower spreads by root suckers, so a container keeps it in bounds. Use a wide pot with drainage holes and a humus-rich mix. Check the top inch or two every few days in warm weather and water when it is dry. Let water drain out, then empty the saucer. Cut the plant back after flowering. In winter the leaves die down, so water just enough to keep the roots from drying out.

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

Snowdrop Windflower: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78–––
Feb0.530.650.81–––
Mar0.871.091.15–––
Apr1.181.521.4–––
May1.462.081.61–––
Jun1.612.481.74–––
Jul1.612.671.98–––
Aug1.492.391.86–––
Sep1.241.81.49–––
Oct0.871.181.15–––
Nov0.470.560.84–––
Dec0.310.340.65–––
Year1217.1115.5–––

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 snowdrop windflower. 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 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 JulyEnglish DaisyBellis perennismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than snowdrop windflower 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 snowdrop windflower, 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 snowdrop windflower in summer?

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

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates snowdrop windflower 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, not suited to this region 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.

Does snowdrop windflower spread?

Yes. Root suckers carry it outward fast, forming a patch. Give it room, or grow it in a pot or edged bed. New shoots at the edge need water too.

Should I cut back snowdrop windflower after it blooms?

Yes. Cutting back after flowering keeps the patch neat. Keep watering through summer while the leaves are green.

Is snowdrop windflower toxic?

Eating it may cause mild stomach upset, and contact can irritate skin. Wear gloves when dividing or cutting it.

When can I divide snowdrop windflower?

Divide clumps in early spring. Water the divisions well and keep them evenly moist until they root.

Can you overwater snowdrop windflower?

Yes. It needs moisture but also good drainage. Soggy soil can rot the crowns, so let the surface dry between waterings.

More plant watering guides

Kenilworth IvyPinks and CarnationsStraw FoxgloveStrawberry FoxgloveBroad Buckler FernAutumn FernSky FlowerTall Globe Thistle

Sources