WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cornus sericea ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water American dogwood in California

In July in the Central Valley, established American dogwood in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. American dogwood, also called red-osier or red stem dogwood, is a deciduous shrub native to much of North America, including California's creek banks. It grows 6 to 12 feet tall, spreads by underground stems, and shows off bright red bare stems in winter. It wants consistently moist soil and grows best with afternoon shade.

ShrubCalifornia nativeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water American dogwood, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 American dogwood 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 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

  • Leaves wilting or browning at the edges while the soil is dry 2 inches down mean this streamside shrub needs water
  • Powdery mildew, leaf spots or twig blight showing up in a hot summer mean the shrub is stressed, often by heat and dry soil
  • Scorched leaves on a plant in full afternoon sun point to heat stress, so give it afternoon shade
  • Dull, brownish stems in winter call for pruning out old wood in early spring, not for more water
  • Yellowing leaves on a plant sitting in stagnant, airless soil can point to root rot

How to water it

  • Water deeply at the base with drip or a soaker, keeping the root zone evenly moist through summer
  • Soak the soil about a foot deep, and water again before the top 2 inches dry out
  • Plant in rich, moisture-holding soil in part shade, or beside a pond, swale or low spot
  • Mulch the root area with compost or leaf litter to hold moisture
  • Widen the watered area only as far as you want the colony to spread, and root prune runners with a spade

Through the seasons

Keep a new plant evenly moist through its first summer while roots spread. Established shrubs still want steady moisture all summer, since they grow wild along creeks. Leaves turn orange to red and purple in fall, then drop to show the red stems through winter. Cut some old stems back in early spring for the brightest new color. WUCOLS rates American dogwood moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in South Inland. On the south coast it rates high water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

American dogwood can grow in a large container for a few years, which also holds its spreading stems in check. Use a rich, moisture-holding mix and a pot with drainage holes. Through summer, feel the mix every day and add water as soon as the surface inch begins to dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot in afternoon shade. After the leaves drop, water just enough to keep the mix damp.

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
0.791.62.43.20.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.791.62.43.20.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

American Dogwood: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.41.240.78––
Feb0.530.651.290.87––
Mar0.871.091.841.3––
Apr1.181.522.231.61––
May1.462.082.581.95––
Jun1.612.482.782.29––
Jul1.612.673.172.51––
Aug1.492.392.982.33––
Sep1.241.82.381.86––
Oct0.871.181.841.33––
Nov0.470.561.340.9––
Dec0.310.341.040.68––
Year1217.1124.818.41––

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 American dogwood. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWestern ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than American dogwood in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow 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 American dogwood, 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 American dogwood in summer?

In July, established American dogwood in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 7 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. 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 American dogwood need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established American dogwood needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 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 American dogwood change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates American dogwood separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water 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.

Why are my dogwood stems losing their red color?

The brightest color comes on young stems, and older ones fade. Remove a share of the oldest stems at the base each early spring to push fresh, bright growth.

Does American dogwood spread?

Yes. It spreads by underground stems into a colony and can turn weedy. Slice around the clump with a spade to root prune runners you do not want.

Is American dogwood native to California?

Yes. It grows along streams and in other moist spots across much of North America, including California. It is a good choice for stream bank erosion control.

Do birds eat American dogwood berries?

Yes. Clusters of creamy white spring flowers ripen into white, bluish-tinged berries that songbirds eat. The shrub also supports bees and butterfly larvae.

Can American dogwood grow in wet soil?

Yes. It tolerates wet ground, occasional flooding and heavy clay, so it fits low spots where water collects. Consistently moist soil suits it best.

Does American dogwood need shade?

It grows in sun or part shade, but full sun stresses it in hot summers. Afternoon shade keeps it healthier in warm California gardens.

More plant watering guides

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Sources