How often to water Brazilian cedarwood in California
In July on the north-central coast, established Brazilian cedarwood in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 29 gallons a week. Brazilian cedarwood is a long lived, deciduous shade tree in the mahogany family, with gray fissured bark and large leaves that smell of garlic when crushed. It grows fast in its first years, then slows. A young tree needs regular deep soakings through the dry season, while an older tree handles dry spells better.
How often to water Brazilian cedarwood, 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
- Soil dry 4 to 6 inches down at the edge of a young cedarwood's root ball means it is time for a deep soak
- Large leaves drooping in afternoon heat on a young tree, with dry soil below, point to a thirsty root zone
- Slow new growth on a young tree that should be shooting up can mean its roots are short of water
- Ragged, torn leaves on a tree in an open ocean breeze are wind damage, not thirst
- Water still standing in the basin a day after a soak means the soil drains too slowly for this tree
How to water it
- Water a young cedarwood over its root ball and a band of soil beyond it, widening the band as the crown spreads
- Soak slowly until water reaches about 2 feet down, so the deep roots are wetted, then let the top few inches dry
- Place drip emitters or a soaker ring under the outer canopy of an older tree, away from the trunk
- Plant in deep soil that drains well, in sun, and out of direct sea breezes
- Spread wood chip mulch over the root zone, kept a few inches back from the trunk
Through the seasons
Give a young Brazilian cedarwood deep soakings through the dry season for its first several years, widening the wet area as its roots spread. Older trees need much less help. The tree is deciduous. New leaves flushed with pink emerge in late winter, and pale yellow-green flowers follow in May and June. Summer is when soil checks matter most. WUCOLS rates it moderate water on the north-central coast and on the south coast. Winter rain covers the cool months in both. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert. It is reliably hardy to about 28 degrees F.
In pots
Brazilian cedarwood becomes a 40 to 50 foot tree, so keep it in a container only while it is young. Check a nursery can 2 inches down every few days in summer, and more often on hot paving. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer. The tree grows fast in its first years and soon fills a can with roots, so plant it out before they circle the pot. While the tree is bare in winter, let the mix dry more between soakings and check after rain.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Brazilian Cedarwood as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Brazilian Cedarwood: 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 | – | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | 0.81 | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | 1.4 | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | 1.61 | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | 1.74 | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | 1.98 | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | 1.86 | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | 1.49 | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | 0.84 | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | 0.65 | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | 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 Brazilian cedarwood. 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
Butterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Brazilian cedarwood, 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 Brazilian cedarwood need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established Brazilian cedarwood needs about 4.1 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 16 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 cedarwood change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Brazilian cedarwood separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water 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.
Will Brazilian cedarwood roots lift paving?
Its deep roots are not known for lifting paving. Santa Barbara street trees planted in 1911 have not lifted the sidewalks beside them. Deep soakings spaced well apart suit those deep roots better than frequent light watering.
Why do Brazilian cedarwood leaves smell like garlic?
Crushed leaves and twigs give off a distinct garlic smell. That is normal for this tree and not a sign of disease or stress.
What are the star-shaped pods on my tree?
They are the woody seed capsules. Each one splits open into a five-pointed star and releases winged seeds that blow away on the wind. The dried capsules are popular in flower arrangements.
How fast does Brazilian cedarwood grow?
It grows quickly in its first years, forming a stout single trunk, then slows considerably with age. In California it reaches about 40 to 50 feet, far short of the 100 feet it can reach in South American forests. Warmth, sun and moist, well drained soil give the fastest growth.
Can Brazilian cedarwood grow near the ocean?
It thrives in coastal climates. Avoid planting it right on the shore, though, where direct sea breezes tatter the large leaves.
Does Brazilian cedarwood need much pruning?
No. It needs only occasional pruning and is generally free of serious pests and diseases. It branches high, which leaves clearance under the crown.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Cedrela fissilis, 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