How often to water hawthorn maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established hawthorn 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. Hawthorn maple is a small deciduous tree or large shrub from the mountains of central and southern Japan, 15 to 20 feet tall with an upright vase shape. Its green to greenish-brown bark is striped with white, giving year-round interest, and new shoots are greenish red. It is uncommon in gardens because it is hard to propagate.
How often to water hawthorn 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
- If the soil under the crown feels dry several inches down in a summer dry spell, hawthorn maple wants a long drink
- Curled, crisping leaves in late summer point to a thirsty tree
- Split or cracked bark after frost or hot sun is bark damage, not a water problem
- Pale leaves in soggy ground point to poor drainage
How to water it
- Water occasionally during summer dry spells
- Soak deeply, then let the top few inches dry
- Plant in well-drained soil
- Shield the bark from winter frost and hot afternoon sun
- Prune very little, since it keeps its upright shape
Through the seasons
Water a young tree regularly through its first summers. Established trees need occasional deep watering in summer dry spells. Its striped bark shows best in winter, when the tree is bare. Protect the trunk from frost and strong sun, since the bark can crack. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates hawthorn maple moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert, and has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland or the high desert.
In pots
Hawthorn maple's small size suits a large container on a shaded patio, where its striped bark shows close up. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, until it drains through. In summer, check every couple of days and keep the pot out of hot afternoon sun. Empty the saucer. In winter, while bare, water only when the mix dries.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Hawthorn Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Hawthorn 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 hawthorn maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
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 rating
Abyssinian Coral TreeErythrina abyssinicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes hawthorn 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 hawthorn maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established hawthorn 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 hawthorn maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates hawthorn 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 evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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 hawthorn maple bark striped?
Its green to greenish-brown bark has white stripes. The Japanese name refers to the pattern. It is most striking in winter.
How big does hawthorn maple get?
It reaches about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. Its upright vase shape needs little pruning. It suits small spaces.
Why did my hawthorn maple bark crack?
The bark is prone to cracking from winter frost and full sun. Plant where the trunk gets some shade. Avoid hot, exposed walls.
Is hawthorn maple easy to find?
It is uncommon because it is hard to propagate. Look for specialty nurseries. It is worth the search.
Does hawthorn maple support wildlife?
It is a larval host plant for moths. It suits pollinator gardens. It has no serious pest problems.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer crataegifolium, 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