WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Crataegus spp. & cvs. (Native and non-native species), WUCOLS IV

How often to water hawthorn in California

In July in the Central Valley, established hawthorn 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. Hawthorns are thorny, deciduous small trees and shrubs, and WUCOLS groups the native and non-native species together. Clusters of white or pink five-petaled flowers open in late spring, followed by small red fruits that can hang on into winter. They prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil, and fire blight is the disease to watch.

TreeCalifornia nativeRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water hawthorn, 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 hawthorn 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

  • Soil dry 4 to 6 inches down at the canopy edge means hawthorn is ready for a deep soak
  • Leaf margins browning during a midsummer heat wave can mean the roots ran dry
  • Blossoms and shoot tips that turn dark brown or black and die point to fire blight, not thirst
  • Yellowing leaves while the soil stays wet suggest poor drainage around the roots
  • Fruit dropping early in a hot, dry summer can follow drought stress

How to water it

  • Water hawthorn at the soil under the canopy with drip or a soaker, not overhead sprinklers
  • Soak 12 to 18 inches deep, and let the surface layer dry a few inches down before the next soak
  • Hold off on irrigation while the tree is in bloom, since water droplets spread fire blight
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, and mulch the root area clear of the trunk
  • Move emitters outward as the dense crown widens

Through the seasons

Water a new hawthorn deeply through its first summers while roots spread. Established trees need deep soakings through long dry spells. Flowers open in late spring, and fruits ripen in fall and may persist into winter. Fall color ranges from yellow to purple, depending on the species. Keep irrigation off the tree during bloom, when water droplets help spread fire blight. In WUCOLS, hawthorn rates moderate water on the north-central coast, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert and the Central Valley. The low desert is marked not suited.

In pots

Smaller hawthorns can grow in a large container for some years. Use a draining container and a loam-based mix. In summer heat, check 2 inches down every few days and water when dry, aiming at the mix rather than the leaves. Empty the saucer afterward. During bloom, water at the rim only if the mix is truly dry, keeping splashes off the flowers. Once the leaves drop, water just enough that the root ball never dries completely.

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

Hawthorn: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.780.74–
Feb0.530.650.810.870.93–
Mar0.871.091.151.31.46–
Apr1.181.521.41.611.89–
May1.462.081.611.952.39–
Jun1.612.481.742.292.85–
Jul1.612.671.982.513.04–
Aug1.492.391.862.332.79–
Sep1.241.81.491.862.14–
Oct0.871.181.151.331.46–
Nov0.470.560.840.90.93–
Dec0.310.340.650.680.65–
Year1217.1115.518.4121.27–

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 hawthorn. 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 hawthorn 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 hawthorn, 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 hawthorn in summer?

In July, established hawthorn in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 hawthorn need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established hawthorn 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 hawthorn change across California?

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

What is fire blight on hawthorn?

It is a bacterial disease that blackens blossoms, shoots and leaves so they look scorched. It is less common on hawthorn than on pear or apple. Rain, irrigation water and pollinators spread it, so avoid watering during bloom.

Do hawthorn thorns cause problems?

The woody thorns run 1 to 3 inches long, so site trees away from paths and play areas. Wear gloves when pruning or moving drip lines under the canopy.

Does hawthorn fruit stay on the tree?

Some hawthorns hold their red fruits well into winter. Fallen fruit is normal litter, not a watering signal.

Should I fertilize hawthorn heavily?

No. Excess nitrogen pushes fast, soft shoots, which fire blight attacks most severely. Steady deep watering without heavy feeding is safer.

Can you overwater hawthorn?

Yes. It prefers moist but well-drained soil, and ground that stays wet can harm the roots. Allow the upper soil to dry between deep waterings.

More plant watering guides

IvyApple TreesPeach TreesPersimmon TreesGrapevinesArborvitaeBambooCalla Lilies

Sources