WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Galium odoratum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water sweet woodruff in California

In July in the Central Valley, established sweet woodruff 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. Sweet woodruff is a low, spreading perennial with whorls of narrow leaves that release a sweet, hay-like scent when cut or dried. It forms a dense mat in shaded, moist ground and spreads readily by rhizome and self-seeding. Dry summer soil can push a planting into early dormancy, so shaded beds need steady moisture.

PerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water sweet woodruff, 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 sweet woodruff 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 beneath a spreading sweet woodruff patch signals it needs water
  • Leaves wilting, yellowing or thinning in summer heat can mean the shaded bed has dried out
  • Summer dieback in sweet woodruff can follow dryness, but inspect the mat before ruling out other problems
  • Soft or collapsing sweet woodruff stems above saturated soil warrant checking drainage
  • The patch creeping well beyond its bed reflects vigorous spread rather than a watering cue

How to water it

  • Water the full spreading mat rather than only its original planting spot
  • Keep the top inch or two of soil consistently moist through the growing season
  • Use overhead watering or drip beneath the tree canopies where sweet woodruff is often planted
  • Work compost into shaded beds so soil holds moisture longer between waterings
  • Pull or mow the mat's edge where it spreads past its bed rather than cutting back on water

Through the seasons

Keep a newly planted sweet woodruff bed evenly moist through its first summer while rhizomes spread and knit together. Established mats still need regular moisture, since this groundcover has little drought tolerance and goes dormant without it. Use actual winter foliage and soil moisture to guide irrigation instead of assuming every planting dies back. WUCOLS rates it moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It rates high water on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert. Coastal and Central Valley rain helps through the cool months, but shaded summer beds still need regular checking.

In pots

A shaded pot can help confine sweet woodruff's spreading rhizomes. Check the top inch of mix during California summer heat, since shade does not stop a small pot from drying quickly. Water until it drains through the holes, then empty the saucer. Divide a crowded mat when repotting, keeping room for new shoots without allowing stems to spread into nearby containers. In winter, inspect the mix and remaining foliage before watering, and avoid letting the root area dry completely.

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
0.791.62.43.20.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.791.62.43.20.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Sweet Woodruff: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.41.24–––
Feb0.530.651.29–––
Mar0.871.091.84–––
Apr1.181.522.23–––
May1.462.082.58–––
Jun1.612.482.78–––
Jul1.612.673.17–––
Aug1.492.392.98–––
Sep1.241.82.38–––
Oct0.871.181.84–––
Nov0.470.561.34–––
Dec0.310.341.04–––
Year1217.1124.8–––

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 sweet woodruff. 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 sweet woodruff 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 sweet woodruff, 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 sweet woodruff in summer?

In July, established sweet woodruff in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley and about every 5 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 sweet woodruff need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established sweet woodruff 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 sweet woodruff change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates sweet woodruff separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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 is my sweet woodruff dying back in summer?

Dry soil during hot weather commonly pushes this groundcover into early dormancy. Check the bed for moisture before assuming disease or pests are involved. It typically returns from rhizomes the following spring.

How do I stop sweet woodruff from spreading?

Remove shoots and rhizomes that cross the bed edge, and keep seed from ripening where seedlings are unwanted. Sweet woodruff can also be cut with a mower set high. Treat reduced watering as a moisture decision, not a dependable substitute for removing unwanted growth.

Can sweet woodruff grow under trees?

Sweet woodruff can grow under deciduous trees and shrubs where the soil remains moist. Shade tolerance does not establish that it handles dry root competition better than other groundcovers. Check moisture within the mat during dry weather.

Is sweet woodruff drought tolerant once established?

Sweet woodruff needs moisture during summer dry spells to keep its foliage active. Dryness can send the mat into dormancy. Its California ratings are moderate or high water where evaluated as suitable, so do not treat it as a dry-garden groundcover.

Why does cut sweet woodruff smell like hay?

Crushing or drying sweet woodruff leaves releases their characteristic hay-like fragrance. Dried foliage is used in sachets and potpourri. Scent strength is not a useful reason to change watering.

More plant watering guides

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Sources