How often to water Vancouver Jade bearberry in California
In July in the Central Valley, established Vancouver Jade bearberry in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 0.8 gallons a week. Vancouver Jade is a vigorous selection of bearberry, a low evergreen groundcover in the manzanita genus. Its glossy leaves are larger than typical, new shoots are flushed red, and the foliage turns burgundy in fall. Small pink flowers give way to red berries. It wants loose, acidic soil that drains well, since soggy ground invites root disease.
How often to water Vancouver Jade bearberry, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- When the top few inches under the Vancouver Jade mat feel dry, the bed is ready for a slow, deep soak
- Leaves that lose their gloss and hang limp in afternoon heat, over dry soil, point to thirst
- Burgundy or bronze foliage in fall and winter is normal seasonal color, not a sign of drought
- Sections that wilt, brown and die back while the soil stays wet suggest root disease from poor drainage
- Scattered spots on the leaves are more likely leaf spot disease than a watering problem
How to water it
- Lay drip line or low-flow emitters beneath the spreading stems rather than spraying the glossy foliage
- Moisten the root zone several inches deep, then let the upper soil dry before watering again
- Plant in loose, lime-free, acidic soil that drains well, and never compact the ground around it
- Mulch thinly between young plants set 12 to 24 inches apart until the stems knit into a mat
- Extend the drip lines outward as the vigorous stems spread across a bank or slope
Through the seasons
Water a new planting of Vancouver Jade regularly through its first summer while the stems root and spread. Established plants get by on less, with a deep soak once the soil has dried. This evergreen flushes red new growth, bears pink flowers, and turns burgundy in fall as red berries ripen. Winter rain covers the cool months on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS rates Vancouver Jade low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland or the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert.
In pots
Vancouver Jade can trail over the edge of a wide pot or raised planter, where its red new shoots show well. Use an acidic, lime-free mix that drains freely. Test the mix with a finger every few days through summer, and water once the top inch or two is dry. Soak until water escapes the drainage holes, and do not leave the pot standing in a full saucer. Give a pot on a hot patio some shade. Since bearberry dislikes transplanting, move it into the ground while it is still small.
- A year
- 6.84 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Vancouver Jade Bearberry: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.15 | 0.16 | 0.31 | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | 0.26 | 0.32 | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | 0.43 | 0.46 | – | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | 0.61 | 0.56 | – | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | 0.83 | 0.64 | – | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | 0.99 | 0.69 | – | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | 1.07 | 0.79 | – | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | 0.95 | 0.74 | – | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | 0.72 | 0.6 | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | 0.47 | 0.46 | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | 0.22 | 0.33 | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | 0.14 | 0.26 | – | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | 6.84 | 6.2 | – | – | – |
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 Vancouver Jade bearberry. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
LantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
YarrowAchillea millefolium (non-native hybrids)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
California Native YarrowAchillea millefolium (CA native cultivars)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Woolly YarrowAchillea tomentosalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Ground Morning GloryConvolvulus mauritanicuslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Rock CotoneasterCotoneaster horizontalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
South African GeraniumPelargonium sidoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Lippia GroundcoverPhyla nodiflora (Lippia nodiflora) cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Rock SoapwortSaponaria ocymoideslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Mother of ThymeThymus praecoxlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Trailing LantanaLantana montevidensis (sellowiana) ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
GermanderTeucrium chamaedrys ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Bigleaf PeriwinkleVinca majorlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Vancouver Jade bearberry, 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 Vancouver Jade bearberry in summer?
In July, established Vancouver Jade bearberry in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley and about every 27 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 Vancouver Jade bearberry need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established Vancouver Jade bearberry 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 Vancouver Jade bearberry change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Vancouver Jade bearberry separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low 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 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.
Is Vancouver Jade a barberry?
No. It is a bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, in the heath family. The barberry name on some plant lists is a mix-up, since barberries belong to a different genus, Berberis. Care for it as a bearberry.
How is Vancouver Jade different from other bearberry?
It has larger, glossier leaves than typical and grows more vigorously than most selections. Its foliage turns burgundy in fall. That vigor helps it cover ground faster, so widen the watered area sooner.
Can Vancouver Jade grow in clay?
It is listed for clay, loam and sand, as long as the soil drains and is free of lime. Wet soil can lead to root disease, so use a slope or raised bed where clay holds water. Keep foot traffic off the bed so the soil does not compact.
Does Vancouver Jade handle salt and drought?
Bearberry is listed as resistant to salt and drought, which suits it to coastal gardens. That drought tolerance comes after establishment. A new planting still needs regular water through its first summer.
Are Vancouver Jade berries safe to eat?
Treat them as ornamental. The fruit is listed as not to be eaten, so keep children and pets from snacking on it. Songbirds and small mammals are drawn to bearberry.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade', the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf