WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Triadica sebifera (Sapium sebiferum), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Chinese tallow tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese tallow 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. Chinese tallow tree is a fast-growing deciduous tree that reaches about 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Its leaves turn bright red in fall. White seeds that look like popcorn follow catkins of yellow-green flowers, and broken parts bleed milky sap. It prefers moist soil and full sun, and it spreads aggressively by seed and root suckers.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow 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

  • A young tallow tree with soil dry a foot below the surface in summer is due for a slow, deep soak
  • Leaves wilting at the branch tips on hot afternoons can indicate a dry root zone
  • Leaves yellowing and dropping in late summer, before fall color, can follow a long dry spell
  • Yellow, thinning leaves over soil that stays soggy for days point to overwatering
  • Seedlings popping up in wet beds nearby show irrigation is spreading the tree as well as feeding it

How to water it

  • Water under the canopy and beyond with soakers or emitters, not at the trunk
  • Soak the root zone 18 inches deep or more, then let the upper soil dry before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in soil that drains, away from creeks and wild areas where seeds can spread
  • Mulch under the canopy and cut root suckers at the source when they appear
  • Move emitters outward as the tree grows so the whole root zone gets water

Through the seasons

Water a young Chinese tallow tree deeply through its first summers while roots spread. Established trees take deeper soaks with longer gaps, though they never want bone dry ground in summer. Leaves turn bright red in fall and drop, and the tree rests leafless through winter. Several states, California among them, list it as an invasive plant, so think twice before planting it. Rain usually carries it from late fall to spring near the coast and in the valley. WUCOLS gives it a moderate water rating in South Inland, on the south coast, in the Central Valley and on the north-central coast. For the high desert and the low desert, WUCOLS marks it as not suited.

In pots

Chinese tallow tree grows too fast and too large to stay long in a container. A young tree can spend a season in a deep pot before planting out. In hot weather, test the mix each day with a finger and soak it once the surface layer is dry. Let the extra water escape, then empty the saucer. In winter, after leaves fall, water only enough to keep the root ball from drying out. Keep seed capsules from dropping into other pots, where seedlings sprout.

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

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78––
Feb0.530.650.810.87––
Mar0.871.091.151.3––
Apr1.181.521.41.61––
May1.462.081.611.95––
Jun1.612.481.742.29––
Jul1.612.671.982.51––
Aug1.492.391.862.33––
Sep1.241.81.491.86––
Oct0.871.181.151.33––
Nov0.470.560.840.9––
Dec0.310.340.650.68––
Year1217.1115.518.41––

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 Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow tree in summer?

In July, established Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Chinese tallow 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 Chinese tallow tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Chinese tallow tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate 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.

Is Chinese tallow tree invasive in California?

Yes, it is listed as invasive in California and several other states. Its seeds spread widely, and it outcompetes native plants. Choose a different shade tree if you can.

Why does my tallow tree have shoots coming up from the roots?

This tree root suckers easily. Cut suckers off where they arise, and avoid wounding surface roots with mowers. Steady deep watering is better than frequent shallow watering that keeps roots near the surface.

Why is it called a popcorn tree?

In fall, its fruits split open to show white seeds that look like popcorn. Those seeds were once used for a vegetable tallow, which gave it its other name. The seeds also spread the tree into new areas.

Is Chinese tallow tree sap harmful?

It belongs to the spurge family, and all parts give off a milky sap when damaged. The plant carries a medium poison rating. Wear gloves when pruning and keep children from chewing leaves or seeds.

Can Chinese tallow tree take wet or salty soil?

It is rated tolerant of both flooding and salt. That adaptability is part of why it spreads so easily. Being flood tolerant does not mean it needs extra water in a garden.

More plant watering guides

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Sources