How often to water Amur maple in California
In July in the Central Valley, established Amur maple 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. Amur maple is a small deciduous tree or large shrub from Asia, often grown with several stems. Its three-lobed leaves have a long central lobe and turn red to orange in fall, and fragrant flower clusters open in spring. It performs best in cooler climates, tolerates wind and dry soil, and can seed into wild areas.
How often to water Amur maple, 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 under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Dry soil 4 inches down at the canopy edge means Amur maple is ready for a deep soak
- Leaves scorching brown at the edges in midsummer heat can follow a dry root zone, especially in hot valley gardens
- Dull leaves dropping early in late summer can point to drought stress on a young tree
- Yellowing leaves with soggy soil underneath suggest the roots are sitting too wet
- Seedlings sprouting under the tree show how freely it seeds, not a watering problem
How to water it
- Water Amur maple with a soaker ring under the canopy rather than a quick sprinkle at the trunk
- Wet the soil 12 to 18 inches down, then let the upper few inches dry before watering again
- Plant in full sun to light shade in soil that drains well
- Lay wood chip mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems
- Push the soaker ring outward as the tree fills out toward a 15 to 20 foot spread
Through the seasons
Keep a new Amur maple evenly moist through its first summer and widen the watered area as roots spread. Once established it tolerates some dry soil, but long, hot summers still call for deep soakings. Fragrant flowers open in spring, paired reddish seeds follow in summer and fall, and the leaves turn red to orange before dropping. Rain usually covers the bare months on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS gives Amur maple a moderate water rating in the Central Valley and on the north-central coast. It is marked not suited to the south coast and the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland or the high desert.
In pots
A young Amur maple can spend a few years in a large container, though its rapid growth means it will want the ground eventually. Choose a pot with drainage holes and a loamy, well-drained mix. Feel the mix 2 inches down every few days in hot weather, and water when it is dry there. Let the excess run off, then empty the saucer. In winter the bare tree needs only enough water to keep the root ball from drying out completely.
- A year
- 17.11 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Amur Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | 0.65 | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | 1.09 | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | 1.52 | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | 2.08 | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | 2.48 | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | 2.67 | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | 2.39 | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | 1.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | 1.18 | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | 0.56 | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | 0.34 | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | 17.11 | – | – | – | – |
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 Amur maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Japanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Avocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Magnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Palm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Apple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Peach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Persimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Fernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Box ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Norway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Chinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Italian AlderAlnus cordatamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySimilar plants that need less water 16
Rated lower than Amur maple 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 July
Fig TreesFicus carica 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
AloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
EucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Texas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Portuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Soapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Necklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Bailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Silver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Green WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Amur maple, 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 Amur maple need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established Amur maple 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 Amur maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Amur maple 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 evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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.
Is Amur maple invasive?
It is listed as invasive in some midwestern and northeastern states, where its dense shade crowds out native plants. It seeds freely, so pull seedlings and avoid planting it beside wild land.
Does Amur maple have good fall color?
Yes. Leaves turn red to orange, sometimes with yellow mixed in. Fall color is a seasonal change, not a sign the tree needs water.
Can Amur maple be grown as a multi-trunk tree?
Yes. It can be pruned as a multi-stemmed clump or a single-trunked tree. With a clump, run the soaker around all the stems so each side of the root zone gets water.
How does Amur maple handle dry spells?
It tolerates wind and dry soil once established. WUCOLS still rates it moderate water in the Central Valley, so give deep soakings through long, hot summers.
Can you overwater Amur maple?
Yes. It prefers well-drained soil, and roots in waterlogged ground can suffer. Let the top few inches dry between soakings.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer ginnala, 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