WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cornus 'Eddie's White Wonder', WUCOLS IV

How often to water Eddie's White Wonder dogwood in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Eddie's White Wonder 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. Eddie's White Wonder is a hybrid flowering dogwood that grows into a large, rounded deciduous shrub or small tree, often about 20 feet tall. In late spring, flower heads up to 5 inches wide are framed by four broad, overlapping white bracts. Its leaves turn red and purple in fall before they drop.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder 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 under the canopy in summer means Eddie's White Wonder dogwood wants a deep soak
  • Leaf edges scorching brown in hot afternoon sun can follow dry soil
  • Leaves curling and dropping early in a dry late summer point to drought stress
  • Brown spots and blotches on leaves in damp weather point to anthracnose, a leaf disease

How to water it

  • Water slowly at the root zone with drip or a soaker
  • Let only the top couple of inches dry between waterings
  • Plant in well-drained soil in sun or part shade
  • Mulch to keep roots cool and moist
  • Prune very little, only to remove dead or crossing wood

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first few summers. Established trees want steady water through the dry months, and hot South Inland gardens need the most. Bracts open in late spring, and leaves color red and purple before they drop. WUCOLS rates Eddie's White Wonder dogwood moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. In South Inland it carries a high water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert, and has not evaluated it for the south coast.

In pots

Eddie's White Wonder dogwood can grow for some years in a large container on a patio, where its spring bracts are easy to admire. Use a rich, well-drained mix. Water when the top inch or two dries, until water drains out. In summer, check every couple of days and keep the pot out of hot afternoon sun. Do not let it stand in water. In winter, while bare, water only when the mix dries.

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

Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder dogwood in summer?

In July, established Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder dogwood need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Eddie's White Wonder 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 Eddie's White Wonder dogwood change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Eddie's White Wonder 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 evaluated 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.

What makes Eddie's White Wonder special?

It is a hybrid flowering dogwood with large white bracts in late spring. Its fall color is red and purple. It grows into a rounded small tree.

When does Eddie's White Wonder bloom?

Its flower heads with broad white bracts open in late spring. Fall color is red and purple. Water steadily before bloom.

Does Eddie's White Wonder get anthracnose?

It may be susceptible to cornus anthracnose, a leaf disease. Water at the base and keep air moving. Rake fallen leaves.

Can Eddie's White Wonder grow in sun?

It grows in sun or partial shade. Keep the soil evenly moist. Mulch helps in sun.

How big does Eddie's White Wonder get?

It reaches about 13 to 26 feet tall over many years. It forms a large, rounded shrub or small tree. Give it room.

More plant watering guides

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Sources