WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Euphorbia ingens, WUCOLS IV

How often to water candelabra tree in California

In July on the south coast, established candelabra tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 14 gallons a week. Candelabra tree is a large succulent euphorbia from southern Africa that slowly builds a short, thick trunk topped by many upright, ribbed, spiny green stems like a candelabra. Its leaves are tiny and short-lived. It wants full sun, excellent drainage and a dry winter. Its milky sap irritates skin and eyes and is harmful if eaten.

TreeSucculentRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water candelabra 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 candelabra 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 4 inches down beside the trunk in summer signals candelabra tree can take a deep soak
  • Ribbed stems shrinking and looking wrinkled can indicate a long dry spell
  • Soft, darkened patches near the base after wet, cold weather point to rot
  • Stems yellowing at the base over damp soil suggest too much water

How to water it

  • Water at the base, away from the stems, with a slow hose
  • Soak deeply in the warm growing season, then let the soil dry completely
  • Plant in full sun in fast-draining, sandy or gravelly soil
  • Keep it dry in winter
  • Wear gloves and eye protection whenever you prune or move it

Through the seasons

Water a new plant lightly until roots grow into the soil. Established plants need only occasional deep soaks in summer and should stay dry through winter. It is slow to form a trunk and can eventually reach 15 to 25 feet. It does not survive being frozen. WUCOLS rates candelabra tree low water on the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast or the Central Valley, and has not evaluated it for the high desert.

In pots

Candelabra tree is often grown in a large pot of gritty, loam-based mix with plenty of grit. Water moderately while it is growing, once the mix is dry several inches down, and let it drain completely. Keep it dry in winter. Never let it sit in a saucer of water. Move the pot under cover before frost. Handle it only with gloves, since the sap irritates skin and eyes.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Candelabra Tree for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Candelabra Tree as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.310.31–0.31
Feb––0.320.35–0.37
Mar––0.460.52–0.61
Apr––0.560.64–0.78
May––0.640.78–0.98
Jun––0.690.92–1.12
Jul––0.791–1.14
Aug––0.740.93–1.04
Sep––0.60.74–0.83
Oct––0.460.53–0.6
Nov––0.330.36–0.38
Dec––0.260.27–0.27
Year––6.27.37–8.43

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 suited to this region in the Central Valley, like candelabra tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Sugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSpotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoyal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTriangle PalmDypsis decaryinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain White GumEucalyptus dalrympleananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRainbow EucalyptusEucalyptus degluptanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoxburgh FigFicus auriculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes candelabra 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 candelabra tree in summer?

In July, established candelabra tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 candelabra tree need per day?

In July on the south coast, established candelabra tree needs about 2.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 8.0 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 candelabra tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates candelabra tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, low 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 candelabra tree sap dangerous?

Yes, the milky sap is an irritant to skin and eyes, and eating any part causes harm. Wear gloves and eye protection when handling it. Keep it away from children and pets.

Is candelabra tree a cactus?

No, it is a succulent euphorbia that looks like a cactus. The milky sap sets it apart. Its spines sit along the stem ridges.

How cold can candelabra tree get?

It tolerates cool weather but does not survive being frozen. Protect it from frost or grow it in a pot you can move. Keep it dry in winter.

How big does candelabra tree get?

In time it can reach 15 to 25 feet with a thick trunk and many upright stems. It grows slowly at first. Plant it where it has room.

Does candelabra tree flower?

Mature plants bear tiny greenish yellow flowers in fall and winter. Dark red to purple fruit may follow. They are not showy.

More plant watering guides

Golden Trumpet VineCherimoyaJapanese ArdisiaPelican FlowerYellow Bell BauhiniaPurple Orchid TreeToogMagic Flower

Sources