WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pyrus kawakamii, WUCOLS IV

How often to water evergreen pear in California

In July in the Central Valley, established evergreen pear 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. Evergreen pear is a small, mostly evergreen tree from Taiwan and China, with glossy leaves that blush red in winter. Sheets of fragrant white flowers cover it from winter into early spring. It wants full sun and regular water, and fire blight is its chief threat, spread in part by splashing water during bloom.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water evergreen pear, 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 evergreen pear 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 to 4 inches down under the canopy edge means an evergreen pear is ready for a deep soak
  • Glossy leaves going dull and drooping in summer heat point to a dry root zone
  • Leaves reddening and dropping in a cold winter is normal for this semi-evergreen tree, not a sign of thirst
  • Flowers and shoot tips turning black and bending into a shepherd's crook point to fire blight, not drought
  • Leaves yellowing over soil that stays soggy for days point to poor drainage around the roots

How to water it

  • Water at ground level with drip or a soaker ring under the canopy, keeping spray off the flowers and leaves
  • Let each watering sink about a foot and a half, and come back once the upper few inches are dry
  • Hold off on any sprinkler watering over the tree while it is in bloom
  • Avoid heavy pruning and rich feeding, which push the soft growth that fire blight attacks first
  • Plant in full sun in soil that drains, and mulch the root zone while keeping the trunk clear

Through the seasons

Water a new evergreen pear regularly through its first two summers, widening coverage as the roots spread. Established trees still want deep soakings through the dry season. Bloom comes from winter into early spring, a short but spectacular show, and small inedible fruit may follow by late summer. In colder winters the leaves redden and some or all of them drop. Winter rain covers the cool months on the coast and in the valley, while desert trees need soil checks in dry spells. Every zone carries the same WUCOLS rating for it, moderate water, from the north-central coast down to the low desert.

In pots

A young evergreen pear can grow in a large container on a sunny patio for a few years. Feel the mix 2 to 3 inches down every couple of days in summer, and water when it is dry there. Water slowly at the base until it drains out, then empty the saucer. Keep water off the blossoms when it flowers in late winter. A potted tree may drop leaves in a cold spell, so water it lightly until new growth starts.

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
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Evergreen Pear: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.740.78
Feb0.530.650.810.870.930.93
Mar0.871.091.151.31.461.52
Apr1.181.521.41.611.891.95
May1.462.081.611.952.392.45
Jun1.612.481.742.292.852.79
Jul1.612.671.982.513.042.85
Aug1.492.391.862.332.792.6
Sep1.241.81.491.862.142.08
Oct0.871.181.151.331.461.49
Nov0.470.560.840.90.930.96
Dec0.310.340.650.680.650.68
Year1217.1115.518.4121.2721.08

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 evergreen pear. 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 evergreen pear 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 evergreen pear, 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 evergreen pear in summer?

In July, established evergreen pear 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 evergreen pear need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established evergreen pear 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 evergreen pear change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates evergreen pear 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, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water 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 evergreen pear's flowers turning black?

Blackened flowers and shoots bent like a shepherd's crook point to fire blight, a bacterial disease. Prune out infected branches promptly. Keep sprinkler water off the tree during bloom, since droplets spread the bacteria.

Is evergreen pear fruit edible?

No. The small bronze-green fruit that sometimes follows the flowers is not edible. Rake it up where it falls on paths.

Why didn't my evergreen pear bloom?

Heavy pruning is a common cause, since heavily pruned trees seldom flower. Let an established tree keep its shape with light trimming, and give it full sun.

Is evergreen pear really evergreen?

Mostly. In mild gardens it holds its leaves, but in colder spots they blush red and may drop in winter. New leaves return in spring.

How big does an evergreen pear get?

Usually 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It can also be trained as a sprawling shrub or a multi-trunked small tree for a courtyard.

More plant watering guides

Bird of ParadiseDahliasHibiscusMagnolia TreesPalm TreesSago PalmStar JasmineHoneysuckle

Sources