How often to water Bolivian mountain coconut in California
In July on the south coast, established Bolivian mountain coconut 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. Bolivian mountain coconut is a large feather palm from cool, seasonally dry mountain valleys in Bolivia, where it is now endangered. A stout, fibrous trunk carries a crown of long, arching fronds with narrow, leathery leaflets. The palm is deep rooted and wants soil that drains well. It dislikes a wet trunk and the steady water of a lawn.
How often to water Bolivian mountain coconut, 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
- On a young Bolivian mountain coconut, soil dry 3 to 4 inches down at the root ball edge in summer means it is ready for a slow soak
- Limp, dull fronds during a spell of hot, dry wind, with dry soil below, show the palm is running short of water
- The oldest fronds browning one at a time at the base of the crown is normal turnover, not thirst
- A trunk base kept dark and wet by sprinklers is a warning sign, since this palm dislikes having its trunk wetted
- Fronds that yellow while the ground stays soggy for days point to poor drainage, which this deep rooted palm cannot handle
How to water it
- Water a young Bolivian mountain coconut with slow drip or a soaker ring over its root ball and just beyond, never against the trunk
- Let water soak in slowly so it reaches the deep roots, then let the top several inches dry before the next soak
- Keep lawn and its sprinklers away from the palm, and aim any spray heads so they do not wet the trunk
- Plant in loam or sandy soil that drains well, in a spot with at least six hours of sun a day
- Move drip emitters outward as the palm grows and its crown widens
Through the seasons
Give a newly planted Bolivian mountain coconut slow, deep soakings through its first summers while its deep roots spread. Established palms need less help, but sustained heat and hot, dry wind still call for summer soil checks. It is evergreen and holds its fronds all year, so there is no dormant season. Mature palms carry clusters of small orange flowers in summer, followed by small coconuts. Winter rain covers the cool months on the south coast, where WUCOLS rates it moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Bolivian mountain coconut is deep rooted and not well suited to life in a container. Keep a young palm in a deep pot only until it can be planted out. Check the mix 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer, and more often when hot, dry wind blows. Water until it runs from the drainage holes, then empty the saucer so the roots never sit in water. In winter, let the mix dry a little more between soakings. A young potted palm is easy to shelter on a frosty night.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Bolivian Mountain Coconut as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Bolivian Mountain Coconut: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | – | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| 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 evaluated in the Central Valley, like Bolivian mountain coconut. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Miyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Everglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
YellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
New Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
NeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Bismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Japanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Giant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Madagascar SagoCycas thouarsii (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Bolivian mountain coconut, 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 Bolivian mountain coconut need per day?
In July on the south coast, established Bolivian mountain coconut 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 Bolivian mountain coconut change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Bolivian mountain coconut separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.
Can you eat Bolivian mountain coconut fruit?
Yes. Mature palms bear clusters of small coconuts with nutty, edible meat and no coconut water. Each is about 2 to 3 inches across, with a tough shell that needs a good nutcracker.
How big does a Bolivian mountain coconut get?
It is a very large palm that can pass 50 feet, with a trunk close to 2 feet thick. The crown spreads 15 to 20 feet or more. Give it open space well away from the house.
Can a Bolivian mountain coconut grow in a lawn?
It is a poor fit for a lawn. The palm does not like the steady water turf needs, or sprinklers that wet its trunk. Plant it in a bed where it gets its own slow, deep soaks.
Does Bolivian mountain coconut handle frost?
Established palms can take short spells of light frost. Young palms are more at risk, so cover one when a hard frost is forecast.
Does Bolivian mountain coconut grow near the coast?
Yes. It takes a good deal of coastal exposure and grows fast in the San Francisco Bay Area. Long spells of hot, dry wind suit it less, so check the soil more closely then.
Is Bolivian mountain coconut endangered?
Yes. It is endangered in the wild, largely from over-collection of its edible seeds. It is raised from seed, and germination can be erratic and take many months.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Parajubaea torallyi, 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