WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Hamelia patens, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Texas firecracker bush in California

In July on the south coast, established Texas firecracker bush in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 2.3 gallons a week. Texas firecracker bush, also called firebush, is a fast-growing evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub from tropical and subtropical America. Its gray-green, pink-veined leaves turn dark red in fall, and clusters of red-orange tubular flowers from summer into fall draw hummingbirds and butterflies. Birds eat the small berries. It is heat tolerant and takes sun or part shade.

ShrubRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Texas firecracker bush, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 Texas firecracker bush 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

  • Soil dry 3 inches down beside the shrub in summer signals Texas firecracker bush needs water
  • Leaves drooping in afternoon heat can indicate thirst
  • Flower clusters thinning during a long hot spell can follow a dry root zone
  • Yellowing leaves over soggy soil suggest overwatering

How to water it

  • Water the root zone under the branches with drip or a soaker
  • Soak about 8 inches down, then let the top couple of inches dry
  • Plant in full sun to part shade in average, well-drained soil
  • Mulch to hold moisture through summer bloom
  • Cut back frost-damaged stems in spring

Through the seasons

Water a new plant regularly through its first summer while it grows fast. Established shrubs still want regular summer water, since they bloom through the hottest months. In mild areas it stays evergreen, while frost can kill it back. Flowers run from summer into fall, and leaves redden as it cools. WUCOLS rates Texas firecracker bush low water on the south coast and in South Inland. The high desert and the low desert carry a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast, and has not evaluated it for the Central Valley.

In pots

Texas firecracker bush grows well in a large container on a hot patio, where hummingbirds can find it. Potted plants need more water than those in the ground. Water when the top inch or two of mix dries, letting it drain. In summer heat, check daily. Empty the saucer. In winter, water less and move the pot under cover before frost. Trim leggy stems in spring to keep the plant bushy.

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

WUCOLS lists Texas Firecracker Bush as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Texas Firecracker Bush: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.310.310.740.78
Feb––0.320.350.930.93
Mar––0.460.521.461.52
Apr––0.560.641.891.95
May––0.640.782.392.45
Jun––0.690.922.852.79
Jul––0.7913.042.85
Aug––0.740.932.792.6
Sep––0.60.742.142.08
Oct––0.460.531.461.49
Nov––0.330.360.930.96
Dec––0.260.270.650.68
Year––6.27.3721.2721.08

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 not evaluated in the Central Valley, like Texas firecracker bush. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingChilean Feather BambooChusquea culeou (C. breviglumis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGlaucous Scorpion VetchCoronilla valentina glaucanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWillowleaf CotoneasterCotoneaster salicifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar SagoCycas thouarsii (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingIrish HeathDaboecia cantabricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingButterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella BambooFargesia murielaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlue Fountain BambooFargesia nitida (Sinarundinaria nitida) (BAMBOO)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPrickly HeathGaultheria mucronata (Pernettya mucronata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOtterbossieGossypium harknessiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBox-leaved HollyIlex crenatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBellyache BushJatropha gossypiifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain LaurelKalmia latifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBarbados CherryMalpighia glabranot 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 Texas firecracker bush, 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 Texas firecracker bush in summer?

In July, established Texas firecracker bush in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 Texas firecracker bush need per day?

In July on the south coast, established Texas firecracker bush needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 1.3 gallons a day for a plant 8 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 Texas firecracker bush change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Texas firecracker bush separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Does Texas firecracker bush attract hummingbirds?

Yes, its red-orange tubular flowers draw hummingbirds and butterflies. Birds also eat the berries. It is a strong wildlife plant.

Why are my firebush leaves red?

As the weather cools, the gray-green leaves with pink veins take on deep red tones. It is normal seasonal color. It is not a water problem.

Does Texas firecracker bush like heat?

Yes, it is heat and humidity tolerant. It flowers best in warm weather. Give it regular water in summer.

Will Texas firecracker bush survive frost?

Frost can kill the tops back. In cold areas it is often grown as an annual. Protect potted plants indoors.

How big does Texas firecracker bush get?

In mild climates it can grow 6 to 10 feet tall. As an annual it stays 2 to 3 feet. Prune to keep it compact.

More plant watering guides

Mountain LaurelBlue Hair GrassChilean BellflowerJapanese LarchBush CloverTiger LilyGreat Blue LobeliaEtruscan Honeysuckle

Sources