WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Tilia americana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water American linden in California

In July in the Central Valley, established American linden in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. American linden, also called basswood, is a large deciduous shade tree from the moist forests of eastern North America, with broad, heart-shaped leaves. In late spring and early summer it hangs out drooping clusters of fragrant, pale yellow flowers that bees love. It wants rich, moist, well-drained soil and is sensitive to heat, compaction and salt.

TreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water American linden, 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 American linden 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 6 inches down under the canopy in summer signals that an American linden needs a deep soak
  • Leaves scorching or curling in hot, dry weather point to heat stress and a dry root zone, both hard on this forest tree
  • Sticky honeydew dripping onto cars and paving points to linden aphids, not to watering
  • Yellowing leaves over soil that stays soggy warrant a check for root rot
  • Sudden wilting of whole branches in summer can signal Verticillium wilt and deserves a closer look

How to water it

  • Water slowly over the root zone under the canopy with drip or a soaker hose
  • Soak the soil 18 inches to 2 feet down, and water again once the top several inches dry
  • Plant in deep, rich, well-drained loam in full sun to part shade, away from compacted or paved ground
  • Keep it out of salty soil and away from salty runoff, since it tolerates salt poorly
  • Spread wood chip mulch out to the drip line to keep the roots cool and the soil loose

Through the seasons

A new American linden needs deep, regular soakings through its first summers while its roots spread. Established trees still need deep summer water, since heat and dry soil stress this forest tree. Flowers open from late spring into early summer, and the leaves turn pale yellow-green in fall before dropping. Rain usually carries the leafless tree through winter on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates American linden moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It is marked not suited to the south coast, South Inland, the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

American linden becomes a large shade tree, so a container is only a short stop for a young sapling. Feel the mix 2 inches down every few days in summer, water until it drains through the holes, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot out of reflected heat from walls and paving, which stresses this tree. After the leaves drop, water the dormant sapling sparingly until spring.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4––––
Feb0.530.65––––
Mar0.871.09––––
Apr1.181.52––––
May1.462.08––––
Jun1.612.48––––
Jul1.612.67––––
Aug1.492.39––––
Sep1.241.8––––
Oct0.871.18––––
Nov0.470.56––––
Dec0.310.34––––
Year1217.11––––

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 linden. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica 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 JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow 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 linden, 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 American linden need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established American linden needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 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 American linden change across California?

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

Why is sticky sap dripping from my linden?

That is honeydew from linden aphids feeding on the leaves, and black sooty mold often grows on it. It is a pest problem, not a watering problem. Avoid parking under the tree in summer.

Is American linden good for bees?

Yes. Its fragrant flowers are so attractive to honeybees that the tree can hum with them, and the nectar makes prized honey. Birds and squirrels also eat the seeds.

Can American linden grow as a street tree in California?

It is used as a shade or street tree, but it does not handle urban conditions, heat, soil compaction or salt well. Give it open, uncompacted soil and deep summer soakings.

How big does American linden get?

It can reach 60 to 80 feet tall and 30 to 60 feet wide, with a straight trunk and dense shade. Few plants grow well beneath it.

Why are my linden leaves speckled in summer?

Fine pale speckling and webbing point to spider mites, which can become a serious problem in hot, dry weather. Keep the tree well watered and rinse dust off the foliage.

More plant watering guides

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Sources