How often to water full moon maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established full moon maple 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. Full moon maple is a small, slow-growing deciduous tree or large shrub from Japan that may eventually reach 15 to 20 feet. Its rounded leaves have 9 to 13 shallow lobes and turn bright yellow, orange or red in fall. It needs afternoon shade, since strong sun and wind scorch the leaves. Its small size suits patios and large containers.
How often to water full moon maple, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- When a finger pushed beside the trunk meets dry soil past the first knuckle in summer, full moon maple needs water
- Leaf edges browning and crisping in sun or wind point to scorch from heat and dry soil
- Leaves curling in afternoon heat can indicate thirst
- Limp, pale leaves where water pools after irrigation point to soggy roots
How to water it
- Trickle water slowly around the base so the soil stays evenly damp
- Let only the top inch or two dry between waterings in summer
- Plant in average, moist, well-drained soil
- Give it afternoon shade and shelter from strong wind
- Mulch the root zone to keep it cool
Through the seasons
Give a young tree regular water through its first few summers. Established trees want steady, moderate moisture and protection from hot afternoon sun and wind, which scorch the leaves. Leaves color brightly in fall and drop for winter. WUCOLS gives full moon maple a moderate water rating along the north-central coast. The Central Valley has no WUCOLS evaluation for it. The south coast, South Inland and both deserts are zones WUCOLS marks it as not suited to.
In pots
Full moon maple is a fine container tree thanks to its slow growth and small size. Use a large pot with a moist but well-drained mix. Water when the top inch or two dries, until water drains out. In summer, check every day or two and keep the pot out of afternoon sun and wind. Do not let it stand in water. Through the bare months, add water only after the mix has dried.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Full Moon Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Full Moon Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 evaluated in the Central Valley, like full moon maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Miyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Everglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
YellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
New Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
NeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Bismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Japanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Giant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Butterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes full moon maple, 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 full moon maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established full moon maple 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 full moon maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates full moon maple separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region 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 are my full moon maple leaves scorched?
Too much sun and strong wind scorch the leaves. Give it afternoon shade and shelter. Keep the soil evenly moist.
Can full moon maple grow in a pot?
Yes, its small size makes it a good container plant. Use a large pot. Check moisture often in summer.
How big does full moon maple get?
It grows slowly and may eventually reach 15 to 20 feet. It is often smaller in gardens. It suits patios.
Does full moon maple have fall color?
Yes, the rounded leaves turn bright yellow, orange or red. Color varies by plant and season. Leaves drop for winter.
What is the golden full moon maple?
The cultivar 'Aureum' is easier to find and has gold leaves. It needs the same afternoon shade. Its leaves scorch easily in sun.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer shirasawanum, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf