WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Plectranthus verticillatus, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Swedish ivy in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Swedish ivy in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Swedish ivy is a low, trailing evergreen perennial from southern Africa, not a true ivy, that forms a mat only a few inches tall. Its rounded, coarsely toothed leaves are purple underneath, and loose spikes of small white flowers dotted with purple appear in summer. It is grown as a foliage plant in shady beds, hanging baskets and pots.

Ground coverPerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Swedish ivy, 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 Swedish ivy 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 1.5 feet 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

  • The mix in a Swedish ivy basket feeling dry an inch down means it is time to water
  • Trailing stems going limp by afternoon point to a dry root zone
  • Leaves scorching pale in hot sun point to too much light, not thirst
  • Stems rotting at the base in soggy soil point to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water when the top inch of soil dries, then let excess drain
  • Plant in partial shade in well-drained soil
  • Use it as a groundcover in shady beds or let it trail from containers
  • Pinch young plants to make them bushy
  • Root stem-tip cuttings any time of year for new plants

Through the seasons

Water new plantings regularly until the stems knit together. Established mats want moderate, even moisture through the warm months and partial shade. It is frost tender, so cover it in cold snaps or treat it as a seasonal groundcover. Summer brings spikes of small white flowers. WUCOLS rates Swedish ivy moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. It is marked not suited to the Central Valley, and WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Swedish ivy is a classic hanging basket and container plant for shady patios. Use a well-drained potting mix. Water when the top inch dries, until it drips from the base. In summer, baskets can need water daily. Do not let the pot sit in water. Pinch the tips to keep it full, and turn the basket now and then so growth stays even. In cool weather, water less, and protect it from frost.

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

WUCOLS lists Swedish Ivy as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Swedish Ivy: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78––
Feb0.53–0.810.87––
Mar0.87–1.151.3––
Apr1.18–1.41.61––
May1.46–1.611.95––
Jun1.61–1.742.29––
Jul1.61–1.982.51––
Aug1.49–1.862.33––
Sep1.24–1.491.86––
Oct0.87–1.151.33––
Nov0.47–0.840.9––
Dec0.31–0.650.68––
Year12–15.518.41––

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 14

Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like Swedish ivy. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Desert RoseAdenium obesumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJapanese ArdisiaArdisia japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingKahili GingerHedychium gardnerianumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine ToadflaxLinaria alpinanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSkunk CabbageLysichiton americanusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEgyptian Star FlowerPentas lanceolatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSolomon's SealPolygonatum odoratum (japonicum)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPainted DaisyTanacetum coccineum (Pyrethrum roseum)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWandering JewTradescantia fluminensis (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMoses-in-the-CradleTradescantia spathacea (Rhoeo spathacea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite CloverTrifolium repensnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCoral VineAntigonon leptopusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHeath-Leafed BanksiaBanksia ericifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingProstrate Natal PlumCarissa macrocarpa 'Prostrata'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 Swedish ivy, 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 Swedish ivy in summer?

In July, established Swedish ivy in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 Swedish ivy need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Swedish ivy needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 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 Swedish ivy change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Swedish ivy separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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.

Is Swedish ivy a real ivy?

No, it is a trailing member of the mint family from southern Africa. It forms a low mat of rounded leaves. It does not climb walls.

Can Swedish ivy grow outdoors in California?

It grows outdoors on the coast and in South Inland in partial shade. It is frost tender. Protect it in cold snaps.

How do I propagate Swedish ivy?

Stem-tip cuttings root easily at any time of year. Keep them moist and shaded. Pot them up once rooted.

Does Swedish ivy need shade?

Yes, it is best grown in partial shade. Hot sun scorches the leaves. Indoors, give it bright, indirect light.

How do I keep Swedish ivy bushy?

Pinch young plants to make them branch. Trim long trailing stems. Water after trimming.

More plant watering guides

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Sources