WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acanthus spinosus (dormant in summer in CV, perennial in shade on coast), WUCOLS IV

How often to water spiny bear's breech in California

In July in the Central Valley, established spiny bear's breech in loam needs a deep watering about every 14 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Spiny bear's breech is a clumping Mediterranean perennial with large, deeply cut, spiny-edged leaves, the kind that inspired Corinthian columns. Tall spikes of purple and white hooded flowers rise above them. It prefers well-drained soil and part shade, is slow to establish, then spreads by seed and root pieces. Inland it often goes dormant in summer.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water spiny bear's breech, 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 spiny bear's breech 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

  • When the ground beside the clump is dry three inches down in spring, spiny bear's breech is ready for water
  • Leaves wilting in afternoon sun point to too much heat and light along with dry soil
  • Leaves yellowing and dying back in inland summer heat is normal dormancy, not a call for more water
  • Crown rot in heavy, wet soil points to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water the clump at its base with drip or a soaker while it is in leaf
  • Wet the root zone roughly 8 inches deep, and wait until the upper two inches dry
  • Plant in partial shade with protection from afternoon sun
  • Use well-drained soil, since it does poorly in wet ground
  • Remove seed heads and stray root pieces to limit spread

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly while it establishes, which can take a while. Near the coast in shade it stays leafy as a perennial. In the Central Valley it typically goes dormant in summer, so water lightly then and resume when growth returns. For the north-central coast, the south coast and South Inland, WUCOLS lists spiny bear's breech as moderate water. The Central Valley rating is lower, low water, matching its summer rest there. Neither the high desert nor the low desert has been evaluated.

In pots

Spiny bear's breech can grow in a large, deep pot, which also keeps it from spreading by roots. Use a well-drained mix and water when the top couple of inches dry, until it drains. In spring, check every few days. If it goes dormant in summer heat, reduce water until new leaves appear. Empty the saucer. Wear gloves, since the leaves are spiny. Keep it in afternoon shade.

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
0.631.31.92.50.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.631.31.92.50.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Spiny Bear's Breech: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.160.780.78––
Feb0.530.260.810.87––
Mar0.870.431.151.3––
Apr1.180.611.41.61––
May1.460.831.611.95––
Jun1.610.991.742.29––
Jul1.611.071.982.51––
Aug1.490.951.862.33––
Sep1.240.721.491.86––
Oct0.870.471.151.33––
Nov0.470.220.840.9––
Dec0.310.140.650.68––
Year126.8415.518.41––

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 low water in the Central Valley, like spiny bear's breech. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

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 spiny bear's breech, 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 spiny bear's breech in summer?

In July, established spiny bear's breech in loam needs a deep watering about every 14 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 spiny bear's breech need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established spiny bear's breech 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 spiny bear's breech change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates spiny bear's breech separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low 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.

Why did my bear's breech disappear in summer?

In hot inland areas it often goes dormant in summer. New leaves return as it cools. Do not drown the dormant roots.

Is spiny bear's breech invasive?

Once established it spreads by seed and root pieces and is very hard to remove. Plant it where it can be contained. Remove seed heads.

Can spiny bear's breech grow in sun?

It prefers part shade, with protection from hot afternoon sun. Inland, shade is important.

Are the flowers good for cutting?

Yes, the tall purple and white spikes make striking cut flowers. Use them fresh or dried. Wear gloves for the spines.

Why are the leaves spiny?

Stiff spines line the leaf edges, giving the plant its name. Plant it away from paths. Handle it with gloves.

More plant watering guides

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Sources