WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Araucaria bidwillii, WUCOLS IV

How often to water bunya-bunya in California

In July in the Central Valley, established bunya-bunya 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. Bunya-bunya is a massive Australian conifer with a tall, straight trunk, whorled branches and glossy, sharply pointed leaves. Mature trees drop huge spiny cones that can weigh 10 to 15 pounds. It comes from coastal mountain rainforests in Queensland and thrives in moist soil that drains well.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water bunya-bunya, 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 bunya-bunya 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 6 inches down at the edge of a young bunya-bunya's root ball signals that it needs a deep soak
  • Pale, drooping new growth on a young tree during an inland heat wave warrants a soil check
  • Lower branches dying off an older tree are part of its habit, as the trunk clears up to the crown
  • Yellowing leaves over a soggy root zone point to poor drainage, since it needs moist but well-drained soil
  • Sticky residue or small bumps on the stems point to scale insects rather than water stress

How to water it

  • Water a young tree with drip or a slow hose over its root ball and a ring around it
  • Wet the soil about 18 inches down, then let the top several inches dry before watering again
  • Plant it in well-drained soil in sun or shade, where falling cones cannot land on paths, patios or cars
  • Keep the base of the massive trunk dry, moving drip outward under the canopy as the tree grows
  • Mulch the root zone with coarse wood chips and keep foot traffic out from under the crown

Through the seasons

A newly planted bunya-bunya needs deep soakings through its first few summers while roots spread. Established trees on the cool north-central coast get by on less, while inland trees need steady deep soakings through the dry season. It stays evergreen, and mature trees shed heavy cones, so keep the area beneath clear. Rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS rates bunya-bunya low water on the north-central coast. In the Central Valley, on the south coast and in South Inland, it rates moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

A young bunya-bunya grows well in a large pot, either indoors in bright light or out on a patio. Check the mix 2 to 3 inches down and water when it is dry, until water drains from the holes. Empty the saucer each time. Indoors the mix dries more slowly, so test it before every watering. Wear gloves when you handle or repot it, since the stiff leaves are sharp.

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

Bunya-Bunya: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.780.78––
Feb0.210.650.810.87––
Mar0.351.091.151.3––
Apr0.471.521.41.61––
May0.582.081.611.95––
Jun0.642.481.742.29––
Jul0.642.671.982.51––
Aug0.62.391.862.33––
Sep0.51.81.491.86––
Oct0.351.181.151.33––
Nov0.190.560.840.9––
Dec0.120.340.650.68––
Year4.817.1115.518.41––

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 bunya-bunya. 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 bunya-bunya 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 bunya-bunya, 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 bunya-bunya in summer?

In July, established bunya-bunya 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 bunya-bunya need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established bunya-bunya 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 bunya-bunya change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates bunya-bunya separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water 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 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.

Are bunya-bunya cones dangerous?

Yes. Mature trees drop large, spiny cones that weigh 10 to 15 pounds and can cause serious damage. Do not sit or park under the crown, and consider fencing the area off.

Can I grow bunya-bunya as a houseplant?

Yes, while it is young. Give it bright light and water only after the mix has dried a couple of inches down. Move it outdoors or plant it out once it outgrows the room.

How big does bunya-bunya get?

In landscapes it can reach about 90 feet tall and 30 feet wide, and wild trees grow taller still. Its single straight trunk stays clear of branches up to the crown. Give it a large, open space well away from buildings.

Is bunya-bunya a true pine?

No. Despite names like bunya pine, it belongs to the araucaria family, not the pine family. It is sometimes called false monkey puzzle.

Does bunya-bunya tolerate salt?

It has moderate salt tolerance, so it handles some coastal exposure. Deep soakings help keep salts moving below the roots.

More plant watering guides

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Sources