WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Eucalyptus cinerea, WUCOLS IV

How often to water silver dollar tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established silver dollar tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Silver dollar tree is a fast-growing eucalyptus from dry, rocky slopes in southeastern Australia, usually 25 to 50 feet tall with a crooked trunk and fibrous, reddish brown bark. Its round, silvery juvenile leaves sit in pairs on white stems, and the tree keeps them along with longer adult leaves. It is drought, wind and salt tolerant once established.

TreeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water silver dollar 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 silver dollar 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

  • Round silver leaves hanging limp on a young tree, with dry soil well below the surface, mean it is time for a slow soak
  • Leaves holding firm through a dry summer show an established tree has enough water
  • Yellowing leaves where the ground stays soggy mean it is getting too much
  • Leaves browned after a freeze below about 15 degrees F point to cold damage

How to water it

  • Run a slow hose at the outer edge of a young tree's canopy, then wait for the soil to dry before the next soak
  • Choose a full sun spot with fast-draining soil
  • Cut back to occasional summer soaks once the tree is settled near the ocean
  • Water more steadily in hot South Inland and low desert summers
  • Wear gloves when cutting stems, since the oil can irritate skin

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summer while roots spread. Once established, it is drought tolerant near the coast, and summer water can be rare. Hotter inland and desert gardens call for more. It is evergreen and blooms in winter and spring. WUCOLS rates silver dollar tree very low water on the north-central coast. The Central Valley and the south coast carry the same low water rating. WUCOLS rates it moderate water in South Inland and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert.

In pots

Silver dollar tree is often grown in a large container for its cut foliage. Pick a pot with big holes and a gritty mix. Give it a full drink once the upper two inches feel dry. In summer, check every couple of days, since fast growth dries a pot quickly. Empty the saucer. Cut stems for arrangements as needed. Through the cool months, add water only if the mix goes dry, and move it to shelter in a hard freeze.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.711.42.12.90.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Silver Dollar Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.040.160.310.78–0.78
Feb0.050.260.320.87–0.93
Mar0.090.430.461.3–1.52
Apr0.120.610.561.61–1.95
May0.150.830.641.95–2.45
Jun0.160.990.692.29–2.79
Jul0.161.070.792.51–2.85
Aug0.150.950.742.33–2.6
Sep0.120.720.61.86–2.08
Oct0.090.470.461.33–1.49
Nov0.050.220.330.9–0.96
Dec0.030.140.260.68–0.68
Year1.26.846.218.41–21.08

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 low water in the Central Valley, like silver dollar tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

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 silver dollar 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 often should I water silver dollar tree in summer?

In July, established silver dollar tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 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 silver dollar tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established silver dollar tree needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 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 silver dollar tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates silver dollar tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low 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, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is silver dollar tree poisonous?

The plant oil is very toxic if swallowed in quantity. Handling bark or leaves can cause minor skin irritation. Keep cut stems away from children and pets.

Why does my silver dollar tree have two kinds of leaves?

Young growth has round, silvery leaves in pairs. Older growth carries longer, lance-shaped adult leaves. This tree keeps both.

How fast does silver dollar tree grow?

It grows fast, sometimes 6 to 8 feet in one season. It reaches 25 to 50 feet in gardens. Give it room.

Is silver dollar tree salt tolerant?

Yes, it is moderately salt tolerant and handles wind. That makes it useful near the coast. It still needs fast drainage.

Can I cut silver dollar tree for arrangements?

Yes, the fragrant silver foliage is popular in floral arrangements. Cut stems as needed. Wear gloves if your skin is sensitive.

More plant watering guides

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Sources