WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Bauhinia forficata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Brazilian butterfly tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Brazilian butterfly tree 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. Brazilian butterfly tree is a deciduous orchid tree from South America, with large two-lobed leaves and short, sharp thorns at the branch joints. Big white, orchid-like flowers open from late spring into fall in coastal southern California. It grows best with fairly regular water, though established trees can get by on less.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Brazilian butterfly 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 Brazilian butterfly 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

  • Soil dry 3 to 4 inches down at the edge of a young tree's root ball means it is time for a deep soak
  • Large leaves that droop in afternoon heat, with dry soil below, point to a thirsty root zone
  • Yellowing leaves while the soil stays wet for days point to poor drainage, since this tree needs soil that drains well
  • White, waxy insects under the leaves may be whiteflies or mealybugs, so look closely before changing the watering
  • Brown spots on the leaves may be anthracnose or another leaf spot disease rather than a sign of thirst

How to water it

  • Water a young butterfly tree over its root ball and a ring of soil beyond it, widening the ring as the crown grows
  • Soak slowly until water reaches about 18 inches down, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in well-draining soil, away from low spots where winter water stands
  • Spread wood chip mulch over the root zone, keeping it a few inches back from the trunk
  • Move drip emitters out toward the canopy edge on an older tree instead of wetting the trunk

Through the seasons

Give a new tree regular deep soakings through its first summers, widening the wet area as roots spread. Established trees can take drier spells, though they look best with fairly regular water. In coastal southern California it flowers from late spring into early fall, while colder sites see mostly fall bloom. Light brown pods follow. It is one of the hardier orchid trees and can resprout after a freeze kills it to the ground. WUCOLS rates it moderate water in the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast or the high desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the low desert.

In pots

Brazilian butterfly tree grows 25 to 40 feet tall, so a container suits it only while young. Wear gloves when you handle it, because the branches carry sharp thorns. Check the mix 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer, and daily during Central Valley or South Inland heat waves. Water until it runs from the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. Move it to the ground before the roots circle the pot. A leafless young tree uses little water, so let the mix dry more between soakings then.

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

Brazilian Butterfly Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan–0.40.780.78––
Feb–0.650.810.87––
Mar–1.091.151.3––
Apr–1.521.41.61––
May–2.081.611.95––
Jun–2.481.742.29––
Jul–2.671.982.51––
Aug–2.391.862.33––
Sep–1.81.491.86––
Oct–1.181.151.33––
Nov–0.560.840.9––
Dec–0.340.650.68––
Year–17.1115.518.41––

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 Brazilian butterfly tree. 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 Brazilian butterfly tree 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 Brazilian butterfly 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 Brazilian butterfly tree in summer?

In July, established Brazilian butterfly tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 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 Brazilian butterfly tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Brazilian butterfly tree 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 Brazilian butterfly tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Brazilian butterfly tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate 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 evaluated 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 orchid tree seedlings coming up in my garden?

Seed from the pods often sprouts in irrigated garden beds. Pull the seedlings while they are young. Wear gloves, because the stems carry thorns.

Does Brazilian butterfly tree have thorns?

Yes. Short, sharp thorns sit at the branch joints. Plant it back from paths and play areas, and wear gloves when pruning.

When does Brazilian butterfly tree bloom?

In coastal southern California, the white flowers appear from late spring through early fall. In colder spots it blooms mostly in fall. Light brown pods follow and twist as they dry.

Will a frozen butterfly tree come back?

Often, yes. It is among the hardier Bauhinia species and can resprout from the base after a freeze kills the top. A tree frozen to the ground can even flower later the same year.

When should I prune Brazilian butterfly tree?

Prune out crowded growth after the flowers finish. Wear thick gloves because of the thorns. Pruning is also a good time to check under the leaves for whiteflies and mealybugs.

How long has this tree grown in California?

It has a long history here. It was brought into cultivation in Santa Barbara in 1911. Its native home is the Atlantic rainforest of southern and eastern Brazil and nearby countries.

More plant watering guides

Arizona AshFuchsiaHardy FuchsiaSweet WoodruffSalalCranesbillMaidenhair TreeGladiolus

Sources