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Plants have varying needs for water. Some will
do fine on natural rainfall, others need to be watered every
few days. Plants should be grouped according to their watering
needs and each grouping should have its own watering system.
There are plenty of lists of drought tolerant plants, but
little information on the water needs of common plants you
may have in your yard. Hopefully, the following information
will help fill the gap. More varieties could be added; these
are the commonest ones.
HERE
ARE THE "BAD GUYS"
The following
plants require regular watering (once a week or oftener in
most soils) when grown in coastal Southern California. These
are the commonest high water users which should be removed
if you want a drought-tolerant landscape.
| COMMON
NAME |
LATIN
NAME |
| Annuals |
(many
kinds) |
| Azaleas |
Rhododendron
varieties |
| Baby's
Tears |
Soleirolia
solerollii |
| Begonias |
Begonia
species & varieties |
| Blue
Marguerite |
Felicia
amelloides |
| Carpet
Bugle |
Ajuga
reptans & varieties |
| Ferns |
(many
kinds) |
| Fuchsias |
Fuchsia
species & varieties |
| Gardenias |
Gardenia
species & varieties |
| Hydrangea |
Hydrangea
species & varieties |
| Impatiens |
Impatiens
species & varieties |
| Marguerite
Daisy |
Chrysanthemum
frutescens |
| Primroses |
Primula
species & varieties |
| Vegetables |
(many
kinds) |
MARGINALLY
HIGH WATER USERS
These
common plants need regular watering, but not as often as the
bad guys. They'll suffer quite a bit if they're not watered
at least every 10 to 14 days. Again, try to group them away
from dry places in the landscape.
| COMMON
NAME |
LATIN
NAME |
| Abelia |
Abelia
species & varieties |
| Avocado |
Persea
varieties |
| Birch
Tree |
Betula
species & varieties |
| Bower
Vine |
Pandorea
jasminoides & varieties |
| Candytuft |
Iberis
sempervirens |
| Flowering
Maple |
Abutilon
species & varieties |
| Geranium |
Pelargonium
species & varieties |
| Gold
Dust Plant |
Aucuba
japonica & varieties |
| Hibiscus |
Hibiscus
species & varieties |
| Japanese
Aralia |
Fatsia
japonica |
| Japanese
Maple |
Acer
species & varieties |
| Lily
Turf |
Liriope
species & varieties |
| Magnolia
Trees |
Magnolia
species & varieties |
| Mondo
Grass |
Ophiopogon
japonicus |
| Palms |
(many
kinds) |
| Periwinkle |
Vinca
major, V. minor |
| Purple
Solanum |
Lycianthus
rantonettii
(formerly Solanum r.) |
| Roses |
Rosa
species & varieties |
| Star
Jasmine |
Trachelospermum
jasminoides |
| Veronica |
Hebe
species & varieties |
SURPRISINGLY
DROUGHT-TOLERANT...
Some
plants have an undeserved reputation for being high water
users. In fact, they'll usually do fine if allowed to remain
unwatered for fairly long periods of time. When water is scarce,
irrigate these every month or so. SPECIAL NOTE: Many other
common plants also fit into this category. Plants are often
overwatered because the gardener just doesn't realize how
tough they really are.
| COMMON
NAME |
LATIN
NAME |
| Camellia |
Camellia
species & varieties |
| Asparagus
Fern |
Asparagus
species & varieties |
| Daylily |
Hemerocallis
species & varieties |
| Lily
of the Nile |
Agapanthus
species & varieties |
| Citrus |
Citrus
varieties |
| Bougainvillea |
Bougainvillea
species & varieties |
| Clivia |
Clivia
species & varieties |
| Fruit
Trees |
(many
kinds) |
| Junipers |
Juniperus
species & varieties |
| Lantana |
Lantana
species & varieties |
| India
Hawthorn |
Raphiolepis
species & varieties |
| Bird
of Paradise |
Strelitzia
reginae |
ALL
THE REST
Most
other common plants will do fine on a monthly watering or
less. Established shrubbery seldom needs water; soaking them
deeply once late in summer is often adequate.
WHAT
ABOUT LAWNS?
Lawns
use more water than any other kind of landscaping. Consider
removing some of your lawn, especially the seldom-used front
lawn. If you must have lawn, try hybrid Bermuda grass, which
needs less water than the others. The popular tall fescues,
promoted as drought-tolerant, actually use as much or more
water than bluegrass to look good. They will tolerate a drought
but turn brown until they're watered again
AND
TREES?
Most
trees will make it through the summer with one or two deep
soakings. Exceptions are noted in the foregoing lists.
YOUR
RESULTS MAY VARY...
Local
conditions affect the water use of plants. Keep the following
points in mind:
- Plants
growing in sandy soils need water oftener than those growing
in clay soils.
- Plants
growing in hot, sunny, or windy locations need more water
than those in sheltered or shady spots.
- Older
plants may need more or less water than younger plants.
Drought-tolerant varieties will be less dependent on you
for supplemental irrigation. Water-loving plants often need
more and more water as they grow older and larger.
- Sick
plants should be watered less than ones that are growing
vigorously.
ESTABLISHED
VS NEWLY-PLANTED PLANTS
Even
drought-tolerant plants need regular watering when they're
first planted. Keep this in mind if you're relandscaping.
Other
Writings By Owen E. Dell
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