WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Helleborus foetidus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water stinking hellebore in California

In July in the Central Valley, established stinking hellebore 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. Stinking hellebore is a clump-forming evergreen perennial with aromatic, narrow, dark green leaflets. From late winter into spring it carries clusters of nodding, pale green bells, often rimmed in purple. It grows well in dry shade once established and self-seeds freely. The plant is harmful if eaten and irritates skin.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water stinking hellebore, 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 stinking hellebore 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 3 inches down beneath the clump in summer means stinking hellebore is ready for a soak
  • Leaves flagging and dulling in late summer heat can show the clump needs water, even in shade
  • Pale, winding trails inside the leaves point to hellebore leaf miner, a pest rather than thirst
  • Black streaks and spots on the leaves suggest hellebore leaf spot or black death, not a water shortage
  • Yellowing, collapsing stems in soggy soil point to rot from poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water stinking hellebore at the base of the clump, keeping water off the evergreen leaves
  • Soak the soil 6 to 8 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before watering again
  • Plant in moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil, ideally neutral to alkaline
  • Mulch around the clump in autumn with leaf mold or compost
  • Let self-sown seedlings fill gaps, and widen the watered area to reach them

Through the seasons

Water a new stinking hellebore regularly through its first summer while roots settle. Established clumps manage dry shade well, though summer heat still calls for soil checks. Flowers appear from late winter into spring, so the clump is active through the cool months. Remove faded or damaged leaves as the flowers open. On the north-central coast and in South Inland, WUCOLS rates stinking hellebore low water. The Central Valley and the south coast carry a moderate water rating. Both deserts, the high desert and the low desert, are marked not suited.

In pots

Stinking hellebore can grow in a large pot in partial shade, where its evergreen leaves stay attractive all year. Use a container with drainage holes and a humus-rich mix. In summer, check the top 2 inches every few days and water when dry. Let water drain, then empty the saucer. It flowers in late winter, so keep the mix lightly moist through the cool months and shelter the pot from strong, cold wind.

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

Stinking Hellebore: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.31––
Feb0.210.650.810.35––
Mar0.351.091.150.52––
Apr0.471.521.40.64––
May0.582.081.610.78––
Jun0.642.481.740.92––
Jul0.642.671.981––
Aug0.62.391.860.93––
Sep0.51.81.490.74––
Oct0.351.181.150.53––
Nov0.190.560.840.36––
Dec0.120.340.650.27––
Year4.817.1115.57.37––

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 stinking hellebore. 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 stinking hellebore 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 stinking hellebore, 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 stinking hellebore in summer?

In July, established stinking hellebore 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 14 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 stinking hellebore need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates stinking hellebore 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, low water 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.

Why is it called stinking hellebore?

Its leaves give off a smell when crushed. Left untouched, the plant has little scent. The odor tells you nothing about its water needs.

Can stinking hellebore grow in deep shade?

Yes. It grows in deeper shade than most hellebores and handles dry shade once established. Shade keeps soil moist longer, so check before watering.

Does stinking hellebore self-seed?

Yes, freely. Seedlings appear around the parent clump and can be moved while small. Water transplanted seedlings until they root.

What are the pale trails in my hellebore leaves?

Those are tunnels from hellebore leaf miner, which affects this species. Remove damaged leaves in winter. Watering does not affect the pest.

Can you overwater stinking hellebore?

Yes. It wants moist but well-drained soil, and soggy ground can rot the crown. Let the top few inches dry between soakings.

Is stinking hellebore poisonous?

Yes. It is harmful if eaten and can irritate skin. Wear gloves when cutting back old leaves and flower stems.

More plant watering guides

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Sources