WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Magnolia cylindrica, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Huangshan magnolia in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Huangshan magnolia 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. Huangshan magnolia is a deciduous small tree from eastern China, named for Mount Huangshan in its native range. In spring, before the leaves, it opens fragrant, lily-like white flowers blotched rose-pink at the base. It wants evenly moist, well-drained soil all year and does poorly when the ground swings to dry or soggy.

TreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Huangshan magnolia, 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 Huangshan magnolia 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 2 to 3 inches down under the mulch means this magnolia is due for a slow soak, since it wants steady moisture
  • Brown, scorched leaf edges on a tree in full sun during hot weather call for afternoon shade as well as a soil check
  • Leaves yellowing and drooping while the soil stays soggy point to waterlogged roots, as it dislikes wet extremes as much as dry ones
  • Blooms browned after a late spring frost show cold injury, which no amount of water will reverse
  • Torn or browned leaves on an exposed, windy site point to wind damage rather than thirst

How to water it

  • Lay a soaker ring or drip line under the outer branches and run it slowly until the soil is moist about a foot deep
  • Water again as the top couple of inches begin to dry, so the root zone stays evenly moist without turning soggy
  • Mulch the whole root zone with shredded bark or leaf mold, keeping it off the trunk
  • Plant in fertile, slightly acidic loam rich in organic matter that drains freely, and avoid poor soils
  • Choose a site sheltered from strong wind, with afternoon shade where summers run hot, away from a warm south wall

Through the seasons

Keep a new tree's root ball and the soil around it moist through its first summers, widening the wet area as roots spread. Established trees still want steady moisture, so summer soil checks matter most. Flowers open on bare branches in spring, leaves emerge with a bronze tint, and they turn yellow in fall. The cylindrical fruits ripen red and split to show red seeds before the tree goes bare for winter. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast. WUCOLS rates Huangshan magnolia moderate water on the north-central coast and on the south coast. It has not been evaluated for the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Huangshan magnolia matures at 20 to 30 feet, so a container only suits a young tree waiting for its place in the ground. Use a deep pot with drainage holes and a slightly acidic mix rich in organic matter. In summer, check 2 inches down every couple of days and water before the mix dries out. Let the excess drain, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot out of hot afternoon sun and strong wind. In winter the bare tree uses less, but the mix should not dry completely.

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

WUCOLS lists Huangshan Magnolia as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Huangshan Magnolia: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.78–––
Feb0.53–0.81–––
Mar0.87–1.15–––
Apr1.18–1.4–––
May1.46–1.61–––
Jun1.61–1.74–––
Jul1.61–1.98–––
Aug1.49–1.86–––
Sep1.24–1.49–––
Oct0.87–1.15–––
Nov0.47–0.84–––
Dec0.31–0.65–––
Year12–15.5–––

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 Huangshan magnolia. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMiyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEverglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingNew Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFormosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingNeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmerican HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJapanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmerican YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGiant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingButterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not 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 Huangshan magnolia, 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 Huangshan magnolia need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Huangshan magnolia 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 Huangshan magnolia change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Huangshan magnolia separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

When does Huangshan magnolia bloom?

It blooms in spring, before the leaves come out. The fragrant flowers are lily-like, up to about 3 inches across, and white with rose-pink at the base. A late frost can damage them.

Why do my magnolia buds open too early?

Heat can push the flower buds open too early in spring. A warm, south-facing wall close to a house can do this. Plant it away from such walls, in a spot sheltered from strong wind.

Can Huangshan magnolia grow in full sun?

Yes, where summers are cool and the soil stays moist. In hot summer areas its leaves may scorch in full sun, so give it afternoon shade there. Part shade also suits it.

Is Huangshan magnolia rare?

Yes. It is rare in gardens, and its wild numbers in eastern China are falling as its habitat is lost. It appears on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

What are the red pods on a Huangshan magnolia?

They are its fruits, which are cylindrical and likely gave the species its name. They ripen red, and in fall they split open to show red seeds.

Can you overwater Huangshan magnolia?

Yes. It needs steady moisture but does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Plant it where water drains freely, and water when the top couple of inches start to dry, not while the ground is still wet.

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Sources