WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Sciadopitys verticillata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Japanese umbrella pine in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Japanese umbrella pine 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. Japanese umbrella pine is a slow-growing conifer and the only living member of its family. Its glossy needles sit in whorls like the spokes of an umbrella. It comes from wet, humid mountain forests in Japan and is not drought tolerant. Give it rich, moist, slightly acidic soil that still drains, and do not let it dry out deeply.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Japanese umbrella pine, 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 Japanese umbrella pine 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 at the edge of the root ball means an umbrella pine needs water
  • Needles that lose their gloss and turn dull or yellowish in summer can signal a dry root zone
  • Needle tips browning on the sunny side during a heat wave point to heat and water stress together
  • Inner needles yellowing over soil that stays soggy point to poor drainage rather than thirst
  • A few older inner needles browning in fall can be normal shedding on an otherwise green tree

How to water it

  • Water slowly over the root ball and the soil around it so the whole root zone stays evenly moist
  • Soak to about 18 inches deep, and water again once the top 2 inches have dried
  • Plant in rich, slightly acidic loam that holds moisture yet drains, working compost into sandy or clay ground
  • Mulch the root area with bark or pine needles to keep the soil cool and damp
  • Site it where afternoon shade breaks hot valley summers and a wall or hedge blocks drying winter wind

Through the seasons

Keep a new umbrella pine evenly moist through its first two summers, since it is not drought tolerant. Established trees still need regular soakings through the California dry season, and more in valley heat. This evergreen grows slowly all year, and its cones take two years to ripen from green to brown. Winter rain usually handles the cool months along the coast and in the valley. Its WUCOLS rating is moderate water for the south coast, the Central Valley and the north-central coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert, the high desert or South Inland.

In pots

Slow growth makes Japanese umbrella pine a good long-term container conifer and a bonsai subject. Use an acidic mix that holds moisture but drains freely. In summer, check the mix 1 to 2 inches down every day or two, and never let the root ball go dry. Water until it trickles out the base, then empty the saucer. Give a potted tree afternoon shade, since hot sun on the pot heats the roots. In winter, keep the mix lightly moist and shelter the pot from harsh wind.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Japanese Umbrella Pine: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78–––
Feb0.530.650.81–––
Mar0.871.091.15–––
Apr1.181.521.4–––
May1.462.081.61–––
Jun1.612.481.74–––
Jul1.612.671.98–––
Aug1.492.391.86–––
Sep1.241.81.49–––
Oct0.871.181.15–––
Nov0.470.560.84–––
Dec0.310.340.65–––
Year1217.1115.5–––

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like Japanese umbrella pine. 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 Japanese umbrella pine 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 Japanese umbrella pine, 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 Japanese umbrella pine in summer?

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

In July in the Central Valley, established Japanese umbrella pine 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 Japanese umbrella pine change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Japanese umbrella pine 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, 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.

Is Japanese umbrella pine a real pine?

No. It is the only living member of its own conifer family. The name comes from the whorls of needles that look like the spokes of an umbrella.

Why is my umbrella pine turning brown?

Hot sun and dry soil are the usual causes, since it prefers cool summers and steady moisture. Add afternoon shade and check the soil 2 inches down. A few inner needles browning in fall is normal.

Can I grow Japanese umbrella pine as a bonsai?

Yes, its slow growth suits bonsai. A shallow bonsai pot dries fast, so check the mix daily in warm weather. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun.

How fast does Japanese umbrella pine grow?

Slowly. In gardens it often reaches 25 to 30 feet only after many years. That slow pace means a long stretch of careful watering while it is young.

Does umbrella pine need acidic soil?

It grows best in slightly acidic soil and accepts neutral ground. In alkaline soil, a large container with an acidic mix is the easier route.

More plant watering guides

Green Supreme ManzanitaMassachusetts ManzanitaMountain SandwortTall Oat GrassSwamp MilkweedOrange MilkweedGreater MasterwortJapanese Aucuba

Sources