WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Franklinia alatamaha (Gordonia alatamaha), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Franklin tree in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Franklin tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 29 gallons a week. Franklin tree is a small flowering tree in the tea family, originally from Georgia, usually about 25 feet tall with an airy, rounded crown. From midsummer until frost it opens large, fragrant white flowers. It has a reputation for being hard to grow: it is intolerant of drought, struggles in urban conditions, and is prone to wilt and root rot.

ShrubTreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Franklin 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 Franklin 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 finger pushed into the mulched soil under Franklin tree that comes out dry in summer means it needs water
  • Leaves curling and browning at the edges in heat point to drought stress
  • Sudden wilting with moist soil can signal root rot or wilt disease
  • Leaves yellowing in heavy, soggy clay point to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged
  • Plant in acidic, moist, well-drained soil
  • Give it sun with some afternoon shade in summer
  • Use a raised bed in heavy clay
  • Choose its spot carefully, since it transplants poorly

Through the seasons

Give a new tree steady water through its first summers, since it does not tolerate drought. Established trees still want even moisture all season, with good drainage to avoid root rot. Flowers open from midsummer until frost, and leaves drop in fall. On the north-central coast and the south coast, WUCOLS gives Franklin tree a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

A young Franklin tree can grow in a large container, which makes acid soil and drainage easier to control. Fill the pot with an acidic, well-drained mix. Water whenever the upper inch or two dries, until it runs from the base. In summer, check every day or two and shade the pot in the afternoon. Never let it sit in water, since root rot is a risk. In winter, water lightly while it is bare.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Franklin Tree for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Franklin Tree as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.78–––
Feb0.53–0.81–––
Mar0.87–1.15–––
Apr1.18–1.4–––
May1.46–1.61–––
Jun1.61–1.74–––
Jul1.61–1.98–––
Aug1.49–1.86–––
Sep1.24–1.49–––
Oct0.87–1.15–––
Nov0.47–0.84–––
Dec0.31–0.65–––
Year12–15.5–––

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 suited to this region in the Central Valley, like Franklin tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Chenille PlantAcalypha hispidanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCopperleafAcalypha wilkesiananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMagic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHawaiian TiCordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSpotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoyal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Franklin 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 Franklin tree need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Franklin tree needs about 4.1 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 16 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 Franklin tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Franklin tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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 is Franklin tree hard to grow?

It needs steady moisture and dislikes city stress, and wilt and root rot can strike. Its roots are sparse, so it transplants poorly. Give it acid soil, steady water and drainage.

When does Franklin tree bloom?

It blooms from midsummer until the first frost. The flowers are large, white and fragrant. Water steadily through bloom.

Can Franklin tree grow in clay?

Heavy clay is risky because of root rot. Plant it in a raised bed in clay areas. Keep the soil moist but drained.

Does Franklin tree need sun?

It likes full sun with some afternoon shade in summer. Shade helps inland. Keep its roots cool with mulch.

How big does Franklin tree get?

It usually grows to about 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It may be single or multi-trunked. It suits small spaces.

More plant watering guides

Rusty Leaf FigGolden Trumpet TreeKahili GingerKentia PalmWax PlantJungle GeraniumCalifornia Black WalnutEuropean Larch

Sources