WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Veronica spp., WUCOLS IV

How often to water veronica in California

In July in the Central Valley, established veronica 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. Veronica, also called speedwell, is a large group of perennials grown for slender spikes of small blue, purple, pink or white flowers. Upright kinds such as spike speedwell suit borders, while mat-forming kinds edge beds and cover ground. Spike speedwell has shallow roots that dislike dry soil. Veronicas want regular, even moisture, yet soil that drains well, especially in winter.

PerennialRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water veronica, 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 veronica 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 or two down around the clump means it is time to water, since upright kinds root shallowly
  • Flower spikes that bend and leaves that go limp in afternoon heat point to a dried out root zone
  • Yellowing, collapsing clumps in soil that stays wet, especially in winter, point to root rot
  • Faded spikes left on the plant slow new flowering, which trimming fixes and extra water does not

How to water it

  • Water at the base of each clump with drip or a soaker hose, keeping the flower spikes dry
  • Wet the top several inches of soil where the shallow roots feed, then water again as the top inch dries
  • Plant in full sun or light shade in average soil that drains well and never stays soggy
  • Mulch lightly around the clumps to slow drying of the surface soil, keeping mulch off the crowns
  • Extend the drip line as clumps widen or mats creep outward over the years

Through the seasons

Keep new plants evenly moist through their first summer while roots establish. Established veronicas still want consistent moisture from spring through the summer bloom, because shallow-rooted kinds like spike speedwell do not tolerate dry soil. Shear spent spikes after the first flush for a second round of flowers. Herbaceous kinds lose their top growth in the cold months and regrow in spring. WUCOLS rates veronica moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. It also rates moderate water in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland or the high desert. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley, but wet winter soil must drain.

In pots

Compact veronicas can be grown in pots on a sunny patio. Their shallow roots dry out fast in a container, so check the mix with a finger every day or two in summer heat. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer so the roots never sit in water. A pot in reflected afternoon heat dries even faster, so give it a spot with some relief. In winter, water only when the mix is dry an inch down, since wet, cold mix invites root rot.

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
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Veronica: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78––0.78
Feb0.530.650.81––0.93
Mar0.871.091.15––1.52
Apr1.181.521.4––1.95
May1.462.081.61––2.45
Jun1.612.481.74––2.79
Jul1.612.671.98––2.85
Aug1.492.391.86––2.6
Sep1.241.81.49––2.08
Oct0.871.181.15––1.49
Nov0.470.560.84––0.96
Dec0.310.340.65––0.68
Year1217.1115.5––21.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like veronica. 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 veronica 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 veronica, 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 veronica in summer?

In July, established veronica in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley and about every 7 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 veronica need per day?

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

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

Should I cut back veronica after it flowers?

Yes. Remove spent spikes to encourage more bloom, or shear the plant down to its basal leaves when the first flush ends. Many veronicas then flower again later in the season.

Why is my veronica rotting?

Root rot is the usual cause, and it strikes in wet, poorly drained soil, especially in winter. Move plants to a raised or better drained spot. Water less in the cool months and let the surface dry between waterings.

Is veronica the same as speedwell?

Yes. Speedwell is the common name for Veronica. The group runs from low, creeping groundcovers to upright plants with tall flower spikes.

Does veronica attract bees?

Yes. The flowers draw bees and butterflies through the bloom season. That makes it a good choice for a pollinator border.

Do deer eat veronica?

Spike speedwell is listed as tolerant of deer and rabbits. No plant is fully deer proof, so young plants in a deer path may still need protection.

How do I propagate a veronica cultivar?

Divide established clumps or take stem cuttings. Named cultivars and hybrids must be grown this way to keep their traits. Seed does not reliably reproduce them.

More plant watering guides

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Sources