How often to water wintersweet in California
In July in the Central Valley, established wintersweet in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 3.0 gallons a week. Wintersweet is a deciduous shrub from the mountain forests of China, growing vigorously to 10 to 15 feet. In winter, on bare branches, it opens masses of fragrant, cup-shaped, pale yellow flowers with reddish purple centers. Glossy leaves follow in spring and turn yellow in fall. It likes moist, well-drained soil and is drought tolerant once established.
How often to water wintersweet, 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
- Soil dry 4 inches down under the shrub in summer signals wintersweet can take a deep soak
- Leaves drooping and curling in afternoon heat can indicate thirst
- Leaves yellowing and dropping in late summer, well before fall, can follow a long dry spell
- Yellowing leaves and dieback over waterlogged soil suggest poor drainage
How to water it
- Water under the spread of the branches with drip or a soaker
- Soak about a foot down, then let the top few inches dry
- Plant in full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil
- Mulch the root zone to hold moisture through summer
- Prune right after bloom, since flowers form on old wood
Through the seasons
Water a young wintersweet regularly through its first summer. Established shrubs are drought tolerant but appreciate deep soaks in long, hot summers. It is deciduous, flowering on bare branches from December in mild areas through March, then leafing out in spring. Plants from seed can take years to bloom. In the Central Valley, WUCOLS rates wintersweet low water. On the south coast it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Wintersweet can grow in a large pot near a doorway, where its winter fragrance is easy to enjoy. Use a well-drained, humus-rich mix. Water when the top couple of inches are dry, letting water drain freely. In summer heat, a pot may need water every few days. Empty the saucer each time. Prune after bloom to keep the size in check, and keep the mix lightly moist while it flowers.
- A year
- 6.84 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Wintersweet: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | 0.16 | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| Feb | – | 0.26 | 0.81 | – | – | – |
| Mar | – | 0.43 | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Apr | – | 0.61 | 1.4 | – | – | – |
| May | – | 0.83 | 1.61 | – | – | – |
| Jun | – | 0.99 | 1.74 | – | – | – |
| Jul | – | 1.07 | 1.98 | – | – | – |
| Aug | – | 0.95 | 1.86 | – | – | – |
| Sep | – | 0.72 | 1.49 | – | – | – |
| Oct | – | 0.47 | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Nov | – | 0.22 | 0.84 | – | – | – |
| Dec | – | 0.14 | 0.65 | – | – | – |
| Year | – | 6.84 | 15.5 | – | – | – |
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 wintersweet. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
RosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Crape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & 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
SalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
AloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Russian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Wild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
CoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Blue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes wintersweet, 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 wintersweet in summer?
In July, established wintersweet in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley and about every 11 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 wintersweet need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established wintersweet needs about 0.4 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 1.7 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 wintersweet change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates wintersweet separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated 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.
When does wintersweet bloom?
In mild areas it can flower from December through March, on bare branches before the leaves. The flowers are very fragrant. Cut a few branches to bring inside.
When should I prune wintersweet?
Prune right after flowering, since it blooms on old wood. Remove a few older stems to control size. Avoid summer pruning, which removes next winter's flowers.
Why hasn't my wintersweet bloomed?
Plants grown from seed can take up to 10 years to bloom. Cutting-grown plants flower sooner.
Who pollinates wintersweet?
Flies, hoverflies and early bees visit the winter flowers. They are one of the few food sources at that time. Avoid spraying near it in winter.
Is wintersweet drought tolerant?
It is drought tolerant once established. Young plants need regular water. Mulch to keep roots cool in summer.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Chimonanthus praecox, 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