WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Koelreuteria paniculata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water golden rain tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established golden rain tree 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. Golden rain tree is a deciduous shade tree from China, Japan and Korea that grows 30 to 40 feet tall with a rounded, spreading crown. In midsummer it carries long sprays of small yellow flowers, and the falling petals carpet the ground. Papery, lantern-like seed pods follow. It takes heat and many soils but prefers ground that drains well.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water golden rain 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 golden rain 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

  • Dry soil a foot down under the outer canopy tells you a young golden rain tree needs a long, slow soak
  • Leaves drooping and scorching at the edges during a heat wave can indicate the root zone has dried out
  • Thinning, yellowing leaves on a tree in soggy, poorly drained ground can point to root rot from too much water
  • Leaves wilting while the soil is still moist can point to verticillium wilt rather than thirst
  • Seedlings coming up all over the beds come from the tree's own seed, not from extra water

How to water it

  • Set drip emitters or a soaker in a wide circle out toward the edge of the canopy, not against the trunk
  • Let each irrigation run until the soil is moist 12 to 18 inches down, then wait for the upper inches to dry
  • Plant in full sun in soil that drains, and avoid low spots where water stands
  • Spread a layer of wood chips over the root zone, kept a hand's width from the trunk
  • Move the watering circle outward as the crown spreads

Through the seasons

Give a young tree deep, regular watering through its first two or three summers so roots spread wide. New leaves open pinkish bronze in spring, and the yellow flowers come in midsummer. Papery pods turn from green to tan by fall and hang on into winter, and fall leaf color is yellow but variable. WUCOLS rates golden rain tree moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It rates low water on the south coast and in South Inland. The high desert and the low desert share the moderate water rating. Winter rain usually supplies the bare tree on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Golden rain tree transplants easily when young, but it soon outgrows any container. Hold a nursery tree in a deep pot with open drainage holes and a well-drained mix only until you plant it. In hot inland weather, test the mix 2 inches down every couple of days and water when it feels dry. Water until it streams from the base, and do not let the pot sit in a filled saucer. Set it in the ground before roots start to circle.

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

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.310.310.740.78
Feb0.530.650.320.350.930.93
Mar0.871.090.460.521.461.52
Apr1.181.520.560.641.891.95
May1.462.080.640.782.392.45
Jun1.612.480.690.922.852.79
Jul1.612.670.7913.042.85
Aug1.492.390.740.932.792.6
Sep1.241.80.60.742.142.08
Oct0.871.180.460.531.461.49
Nov0.470.560.330.360.930.96
Dec0.310.340.260.270.650.68
Year1217.116.27.3721.2721.08

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 golden rain tree. 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 golden rain tree 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 golden rain 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 often should I water golden rain tree in summer?

In July, established golden rain tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 golden rain tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established golden rain tree 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 golden rain tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates golden rain tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low 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.

Is golden rain tree messy?

Yes, in season. Spent petals drop in a golden layer in summer, and papery pods and leaves follow in fall and winter. Plant it away from pools and patios if litter bothers you.

Is golden rain tree invasive?

It self-seeds easily and can escape gardens to become weedy. Pull seedlings while they are small. Where wildlands are close by, consider a native tree instead.

What are the lantern pods on my golden rain tree?

They are the fruit, papery three-sided capsules about 2 inches long. Inside are hard, black seeds about the size of a pea. Cut stems of the pods work well in dried arrangements.

Why do golden rain tree branches break?

Its wood tends to be brittle, so wind and storms can snap limbs. Remove broken branches promptly and check the tree after heavy weather.

Can you overwater golden rain tree?

Yes. It prefers moist soil that drains, and constantly wet ground can lead to root rot. Water deeply, then let the upper soil dry before the next round.

How fast does golden rain tree grow?

It grows at a medium to fast rate and starts flowering young. Deep watering during its first summers helps it fill out into a rounded shade tree.

More plant watering guides

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Sources