WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cupressus sempervirens ssp. & cvs., WUCOLS IV

How often to water Italian cypress in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Italian cypress in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Garden forms of Italian cypress usually make tall, narrow columns of dark, scalelike foliage. Older trees develop considerable drought tolerance, while recent plantings need water as they establish. Give this evergreen a sunny position with well-drained soil, and investigate browning rather than assuming its roots can always supply enough water.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water Italian cypress, 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 Italian cypress 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 several inches down at a young tree's root ball signals it needs a deep soak
  • Inspect a straw-colored patch for damaged bark and check soil moisture before deciding whether to water
  • A mature tree tolerates dry conditions, but continued green foliage alone is no reason to stop checking its soil
  • Browning above persistently wet soil calls for a drainage check because Italian cypress is susceptible to root rot
  • A lone brown branch amid otherwise healthy growth often points to a localized problem rather than overall thirst

How to water it

  • Water a young Italian cypress across its full root ball and the soil just beyond it
  • Let the top several inches of soil dry before watering an established tree again
  • Choose soil that drains freely and avoid planting where water stands around the cypress roots
  • Direct irrigation toward the soil to limit splashing that can spread cypress canker
  • Check moisture beyond the original planting hole as well as within the root ball

Through the seasons

Young Italian cypress needs adequate moisture while establishing; older trees are much more drought tolerant. Check the root ball and nearby soil instead of using age alone to end irrigation. This evergreen keeps its foliage through winter. WUCOLS assigns low water to the north-central coast, Central Valley, south coast, South Inland and high desert, and moderate water to the low desert. Winter rain can supply much of the need along the coast and in the valley, but check during dry spells, especially in deserts. Canker can still damage established trees, and drought stress can speed its progress.

In pots

A narrow crown does not guarantee a small tree: Totem Pole can eventually grow tall, so check the cultivar's mature size before choosing a pot. Use a container with drainage holes and room for its root ball. During California heat, feel a few inches into the mix before watering and let surplus water drain away. Empty the saucer afterward. In the cooler months, recheck moisture before adding water and move the container if rain leaves its base standing in a puddle.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.711.42.12.90.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Italian Cypress: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.310.30.78
Feb0.210.260.320.350.370.93
Mar0.350.430.460.520.581.52
Apr0.470.610.560.640.761.95
May0.580.830.640.780.952.45
Jun0.640.990.690.921.142.79
Jul0.641.070.7911.222.85
Aug0.60.950.740.931.122.6
Sep0.50.720.60.740.862.08
Oct0.350.470.460.530.581.49
Nov0.190.220.330.360.370.96
Dec0.120.140.260.270.260.68
Year4.86.846.27.378.5121.08

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 low water in the Central Valley, like Italian cypress. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

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 Italian cypress, 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 Italian cypress in summer?

In July, established Italian cypress in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 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 Italian cypress need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Italian cypress needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 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 Italian cypress change across California?

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

Why is one branch on my Italian cypress turning brown?

Cypress canker can kill individual branches and leave resinous patches on the bark. Inspect the affected section and seek a diagnosis before changing irrigation. Diseased branches may need pruning, while the tree still needs appropriate soil moisture.

Can Italian cypress grow in heavy clay soil?

Poor drainage is a problem because Italian cypress can develop root rot. Clay is not automatically unsuitable if it drains well. Choose another location if water remains trapped around the roots.

How close together can I plant Italian cypress for a hedge or screen?

Base spacing on the mature width of the cultivar and the screen you want to create. Check moisture around each plant as it establishes. Do not assume that a narrow crown proves the roots need only a narrow strip of watered soil.

Does Italian cypress need staking after planting?

A young tree in loose or windy soil may need temporary staking while roots anchor it. Staking does not change how often you check soil moisture. Remove stakes once the tree can stand on its own.

Why does my established Italian cypress still look stressed in summer?

Inspect for canker, mites and drainage problems as well as dry soil. Drought tolerance does not make an established tree immune to these problems. UC IPM advises against planting Italian cypress inland beyond the cooling influence of the coast because of canker risk.

More plant watering guides

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Sources