WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Spathodea campanulata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water African tulip tree in California

In July on the south coast, established African tulip tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 35 gallons a week. African tulip tree is a fast-growing tropical evergreen with large compound leaves that open bronze and age to dark green. In late summer and fall it carries clusters of orange-red, tulip-shaped flowers at the branch tips. It wants warmth, full sun and well-drained soil, and it grows best in frost-free coastal gardens.

TreeRated for 1 of 6 zones

How often to water African tulip tree, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 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 African tulip tree 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 under the branches, 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 canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 4 to 6 inches down under the canopy of a young tulip tree signals that it needs a deep soak
  • Leaves yellowing and dropping in a dry late summer can mean the tree is going drought deciduous
  • Leaf drop after the first cold night is a frost response, not thirst, so check the soil before adding water
  • Yellow leaves over soil that stays wet for days point to poor drainage, since this tree needs well-drained ground
  • Wilting bronze new leaves on a young tree during a heat spell warrant a check of the root ball

How to water it

  • Water a young tree over its root ball and just beyond with drip or a slow hose
  • Soak the soil about 18 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
  • Move emitters out toward the canopy edge as the tree grows, keeping the trunk itself dry
  • Plant in full sun against a warm south wall or slope, in soil that drains well after a soak
  • Spread coarse mulch over the root zone, leaving a clear ring around the thick trunk

Through the seasons

A new African tulip tree needs deep soakings through its first two summers while its roots spread. Established trees ride out dry spells by dropping leaves, but they stay fuller with deep soakings from late spring into fall. Bloom comes in late summer and fall, and growth stops as the weather cools. In mild winters the tree can stay leafy and keep flowering, while frost strips its leaves. Winter rain covers the cool months on the south coast, so cut back irrigation then. WUCOLS rates it moderate water on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

A young African tulip tree can spend a few years in a large container, though it grows fast and soon wants open ground. Check the mix 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer, and soak it until water runs out the bottom. Empty the saucer so the roots never sit wet. Water sparingly in winter as growth stops. Move the pot against a warm wall or under cover before frost, since a hard freeze kills the soft top growth.

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

WUCOLS lists African Tulip Tree as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

African Tulip Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.78–––
Feb––0.81–––
Mar––1.15–––
Apr––1.4–––
May––1.61–––
Jun––1.74–––
Jul––1.98–––
Aug––1.86–––
Sep––1.49–––
Oct––1.15–––
Nov––0.84–––
Dec––0.65–––
Year––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 not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like African tulip tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Sugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSpotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoyal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTriangle PalmDypsis decaryinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain White GumEucalyptus dalrympleananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRainbow EucalyptusEucalyptus degluptanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoxburgh FigFicus auriculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingIndian BanyanFicus benghalensisnot 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 African tulip tree, 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 much water does African tulip tree need per day?

In July on the south coast, established African tulip tree needs about 5.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 20 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for African tulip tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates African tulip tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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, 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.

Can African tulip tree survive frost?

Light frost drops its leaves, and temperatures in the high 20s can kill the branches back to hard wood. The roots can survive colder nights and resprout. Plant it in a warm, sheltered spot near the coast.

Why is my African tulip tree dropping its leaves?

In California it often goes leafless in late fall or after the first frost. It also sheds leaves during a long dry spell. Check the soil before watering, since a cold-weather drop does not call for more water.

When does African tulip tree bloom in California?

In coastal California the flower clusters open in late summer and fall. Velvety brown buds split to show orange-red cups that hold rain and dew. In a warm winter, bloom can carry on into the cool months.

Can African tulip tree grow near the ocean?

It can, with some protection from sea breezes. Its limbs are brittle, so strong shore winds break branches. A spot a little back from the beach suits it better.

How big does African tulip tree get?

In California it usually reaches 25 to 35 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide, far smaller than in tropical Africa. It grows fast when young. Give it room away from walkways, since the brittle limbs need regular light pruning.

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Sources