How often to water Chinese strawberry tree in California
In July on the north-central coast, established Chinese strawberry tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Chinese strawberry tree, also called red bayberry or yangmei, is a rounded broadleaf evergreen from eastern Asia, usually 15 to 30 feet tall. Its leathery leaves are dark green above and paler beneath. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, and females bear sweet, edible, dark red fruits. It likes sun or part shade and moist soil.
How often to water Chinese strawberry tree, 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 the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry a few inches down under the canopy in summer calls for a slow, deep watering, since this tree does best in moist soil
- Leaves browning at the edges in hot, dry wind can indicate the roots ran short of water
- Water still standing around the trunk long after irrigation means the soil is too wet, even for this moisture-loving tree
- A tree that flowers but never fruits may simply be a male, since the sexes grow on separate trees
- Leaf damage after a hard freeze reflects its limited cold hardiness, not drought
How to water it
- Water under the whole canopy with drip or a soaker, keeping the soil evenly moist
- Soak the root zone 12 to 18 inches deep, and water again before the upper soil dries out
- Plant in sun or part shade in moist, well-prepared soil, sheltered from hard frost
- Mulch the root zone to hold moisture, keeping the mulch off the trunk
- Plant a male tree near females if you want fruit, and widen the watered area as the canopy grows
Through the seasons
Keep a young tree evenly moist through its first summers while roots spread. It is evergreen, so it uses some water all year, most in summer heat. Winter rain usually covers it on the north-central coast. It is hardy only to about 20 to 30 degrees F, so hard frost can damage it. WUCOLS rates Chinese strawberry tree moderate water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Chinese strawberry tree grows 15 to 30 feet tall, so a young one can live in a large container for only a few years. Use a deep pot with drainage holes and a moisture-holding, well-drained mix. In summer heat, check the mix every day or two and water before the top inch dries, since it likes steady moisture. Let water drain through, then empty the saucer. In winter, water less and move the pot away from hard frost.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Chinese Strawberry Tree as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Chinese Strawberry Tree: 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 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 Chinese strawberry tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Chilean Feather BambooChusquea culeou (C. breviglumis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
BlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Glaucous Scorpion VetchCoronilla valentina glaucanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Willowleaf CotoneasterCotoneaster salicifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Madagascar SagoCycas thouarsii (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Irish HeathDaboecia cantabricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Butterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Umbrella BambooFargesia murielaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Blue Fountain BambooFargesia nitida (Sinarundinaria nitida) (BAMBOO)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Prickly HeathGaultheria mucronata (Pernettya mucronata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
OtterbossieGossypium harknessiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Box-leaved HollyIlex crenatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Bellyache BushJatropha gossypiifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain LaurelKalmia latifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Barbados CherryMalpighia glabranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Chinese strawberry 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 much water does Chinese strawberry tree need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established Chinese strawberry tree needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.
Does watering for Chinese strawberry tree change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Chinese strawberry tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated 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.
Is Chinese strawberry tree fruit edible?
Yes. The round, dark red to purple-red fruits are sweet and edible. Wild fruits are about half an inch across, while cultivated selections can reach about an inch.
Why doesn't my Chinese strawberry tree have fruit?
The sexes are on separate trees, and only female trees fruit. A female also needs a male nearby for pollination.
Is Chinese strawberry tree the same as strawberry tree?
No. This tree is Myrica rubra, also called red bayberry. The plant usually sold as strawberry tree is Arbutus unedo, a different plant with different needs.
How cold hardy is Chinese strawberry tree?
It is hardy to roughly 20 to 30 degrees F, matching mild coastal climates. Protect young trees during hard freezes.
Can you overwater Chinese strawberry tree?
It does best in moist soil, so steady water suits it. Still, water should soak in rather than stand around the trunk. Fix drainage where puddles linger.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Myrica rubra, 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