WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis), WUCOLS IV

How often to water Hawaiian ti in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Hawaiian ti in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Hawaiian ti is a tropical evergreen shrub with long, lance-shaped leaves in green, pink, purple or deep red, depending on the cultivar. It grows from rhizomes into canes 9 to 15 feet tall and can bear fragrant flower sprays and red berries. It wants warmth, humidity, bright indirect light and moist soil that drains, and it is frost tender.

ShrubRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Hawaiian ti, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 Hawaiian ti 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 the plant covers, 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 plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 2 inches down around Hawaiian ti in summer signals that it needs water
  • Brown leaf tips often mean the air is too dry, not only that the soil is dry
  • Faded leaf color points to too little light, since the bright colors need strong indirect light
  • Yellowing lower leaves and soft stem bases in soggy soil point to overwatering
  • Fine webbing or speckled leaves point to spider mites, which often build up in dry air

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the canes, keeping the soil evenly moist but never soggy
  • Soak the root zone about 12 inches deep, then let the top inch or two dry before watering again
  • Plant in fertile, well-drained loam in bright, indirect light, sheltered from wind and frost
  • Mulch the bed to hold moisture and humidity around the roots
  • Water less from late fall through late winter, when growth slows

Through the seasons

A new Hawaiian ti needs steady moisture while its rhizomes settle. Established plants want regular water from spring through fall, with slight drying between soakings. Flowers can appear in spring or summer, followed by red berries. Growth slows from late fall to late winter, so water less then, and protect plants from frost. Rain usually covers much of winter on the coast. WUCOLS rates Hawaiian ti moderate water on the north-central coast. It rates high water on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

Hawaiian ti grows well in a container on a bright, sheltered patio or indoors. Use a peat-based or loamy mix and water when the top inch dries, until water runs from the holes, then empty the saucer. Indoor plants need high humidity, so group pots or run a humidifier to prevent brown tips. Cut back water from late fall to late winter. Bring outdoor pots inside before nights turn cold, since it does best between 65 and 95 degrees.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Hawaiian Ti: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–1.24–––
Feb0.53–1.29–––
Mar0.87–1.84–––
Apr1.18–2.23–––
May1.46–2.58–––
Jun1.61–2.78–––
Jul1.61–3.17–––
Aug1.49–2.98–––
Sep1.24–2.38–––
Oct0.87–1.84–––
Nov0.47–1.34–––
Dec0.31–1.04–––
Year12–24.8–––

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 Hawaiian ti. 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 ratingYellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMagic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWeeping Chinese BanyanFicus benjaminanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRubber PlantFicus elasticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFranklin TreeFranklinia alatamaha (Gordonia alatamaha)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJungle GeraniumIxora coccineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrange JessamineMurraya paniculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCommon GuavaPsidium guajavanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrgan Pipe CactusStenocereus thurberi (Lemaireocereus thurberi)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGiant Bird of ParadiseStrelitzia nicolai (shade in desert)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMarmalade BushStreptosolen jamesoniinot 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 Hawaiian ti, 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 Hawaiian ti need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Hawaiian ti needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Hawaiian ti change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Hawaiian ti 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, high 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 are my ti plant leaf tips turning brown?

Dry air is a common cause, since this tropical plant prefers high humidity. Check the soil too, and avoid both bone-dry and soggy mix. Indoors, a humidifier or grouped pots help.

Is Hawaiian ti toxic to pets?

Yes. It is toxic to dogs, cats and horses and has low toxicity for people. Wear gloves when handling it, since it can irritate skin.

How do I keep ti leaves colorful?

Bright, indirect light keeps the reds and pinks strong, while deep shade dulls them. Feeding a few times a year also helps hold the color.

Can I grow ti from a cutting?

Yes. Short stem sections, sold as ti logs, can be started in moist, well-drained mix, and clumps can be divided. Keep new starts evenly moist until leaves appear.

Can Hawaiian ti survive a California winter outdoors?

Only in mild coastal gardens. It is frost tender and does best between 65 and 95 degrees. Move potted plants indoors or under cover in cold weather.

More plant watering guides

Sky Flower VineWandering JewMoses-in-the-CradleWhite CloverCanadian HemlockCardboard PalmCoral VineHeath-Leafed Banksia

Sources