WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cornus florida, WUCOLS IV

How often to water eastern dogwood in California

In July in the Central Valley, established eastern dogwood 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. Eastern dogwood, also called flowering dogwood, is a small deciduous understory tree from eastern North America. In spring, four showy, petal-like bracts surround each cluster of tiny true flowers before the leaves emerge. It wants rich, well-drained soil, a cool mulched root zone and afternoon shade in hot areas.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water eastern dogwood, 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 eastern dogwood 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 3 inches down beneath the mulch tells you eastern dogwood needs water, since its roots like cool, moist soil
  • Leaf edges browning and curling in summer point to leaf scorch from heat and dry soil
  • Tan blotches on leaves and dying twigs in spring suggest dogwood anthracnose, not thirst
  • A white powder on the leaves is powdery mildew, a disease that water at the roots does not cure
  • Yellowing leaves over soggy ground point to root rot, which this tree is prone to in poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water eastern dogwood under its canopy with drip or a soaker, wetting the soil without spraying the leaves
  • Soak about a foot deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next watering
  • Keep a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch over the root zone to hold the soil cool and moist
  • Plant in soil high in organic matter that drains well, with afternoon shade in hot inland areas
  • Widen the mulched, watered area as the canopy spreads toward 15 to 30 feet

Through the seasons

Water a new eastern dogwood steadily through its first summers, keeping the root ball and nearby soil evenly moist. Established trees are fairly heat tolerant but still need deep soakings and mulch to keep roots cool in hot summers. Bracts open in spring before the leaves, red fruit ripens from late summer into fall, and leaves turn red to reddish purple before dropping. WUCOLS rates eastern dogwood moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. In South Inland, WUCOLS gives it a high water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Eastern dogwood can spend a few years in a large pot, especially as a young tree in a shaded patio corner. Use a container with drainage holes and a rich, slightly acidic mix. Check 2 inches down every few days in summer heat, and water before the mix dries out completely. Let excess water drain, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot out of afternoon sun and reflected heat. In winter the bare tree needs only light watering.

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
1.02.03.04.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC1.02.03.04.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Eastern Dogwood: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–1.24––
Feb0.530.65–1.39––
Mar0.871.09–2.08––
Apr1.181.52–2.58––
May1.462.08–3.12––
Jun1.612.48–3.67––
Jul1.612.67–4.02––
Aug1.492.39–3.72––
Sep1.241.8–2.98––
Oct0.871.18–2.13––
Nov0.470.56–1.44––
Dec0.310.34–1.09––
Year1217.11–29.46––

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 eastern dogwood. 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 eastern dogwood 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 eastern dogwood, 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 eastern dogwood in summer?

In July, established eastern dogwood in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 5 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 eastern dogwood need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established eastern dogwood 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 eastern dogwood change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates eastern dogwood separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, high 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.

Why are my dogwood leaves brown at the edges?

Leaf scorch is common when hot sun and dry soil combine. Check moisture under the mulch and soak deeply if it is dry. In hot inland gardens, afternoon shade helps prevent repeat scorch.

What is dogwood anthracnose?

It is a fungal disease that causes leaf spots and twig dieback on this tree. Water at the base to keep the leaves dry, and prune out dead twigs.

Are dogwood flowers really bracts?

Yes. The four showy parts are bracts surrounding a cluster of tiny true flowers. They open in spring before the leaves.

Does eastern dogwood need shade?

It grows in full sun to partial shade, but in hot areas it needs afternoon shade. Shade keeps the soil moist longer, so check before watering.

Can you overwater eastern dogwood?

Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and root rot can follow soggy ground. Keep the root zone evenly moist, not waterlogged.

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Sources