WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Taxus cuspidata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Japanese yew in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Japanese yew 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 yew is an evergreen tree or shrub with sharp-tipped, dark green needles that show a yellow-tinged underside. Female plants carry fleshy red arils that birds eat, while the seeds, needles and bark are highly poisonous. It grows in sun or shade but cannot stand wet soil, so drainage matters as much as water.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water Japanese yew, 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 yew 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 that is dry 3 to 4 inches down under the outer branches means Japanese yew is ready for water
  • Needles browning from the tips inward after hot, dry weather can follow a parched root zone
  • Yellowing needles and dieback over soil that stays wet point to root rot, the main watering risk for this yew
  • Reddish brown needles in winter can be normal coloring or winter burn rather than drought
  • White, crusty bumps on needles and stems point to scale insects, a pest issue rather than thirst

How to water it

  • Water Japanese yew around the outer edge of the plant with drip, keeping water from pooling at the trunk
  • Wet the soil about a foot deep, then let it dry several inches down before the next watering
  • Plant in sandy or loamy soil with good drainage, building a mound where clay stays wet
  • Mulch lightly with bark, keeping it thin over the roots and off the stems
  • Shift drip emitters outward as the plant widens toward its 5 to 10 foot spread

Through the seasons

Give a new Japanese yew regular soakings through its first summer, letting the top few inches dry between them. Established plants need less, though summer heat in dry inland gardens still calls for soil checks. The needles stay on all year and may take a reddish brown tint in winter. Irrigation matters most from late spring into fall, and wet winter soil becomes the bigger risk once rains start. WUCOLS gives Japanese yew a moderate water rating on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

A Japanese yew in a pot needs fast drainage above all, since soggy roots are its main weakness. Use a container with several holes and a sandy, loamy blend. Check 2 to 3 inches down every few days in summer heat, and water only when that layer is dry. Pour off the saucer each time. Winter rain can keep a pot wet for long stretches, so tip out standing water and hold off until the mix dries.

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 Yew: 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 yew. 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 yew 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 yew, 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 yew in summer?

In July, established Japanese yew 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 yew need per day?

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

Yes. WUCOLS rates Japanese yew 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 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.

Is Japanese yew poisonous?

Yes, highly. The needles, bark and seeds contain toxic alkaloids, and pets and children are at risk. Only the fleshy red aril lacks the poison, and the seed inside it is toxic.

Why is my Japanese yew turning yellow?

Check drainage first. Yews are intolerant of wet soil, and root rot in soggy ground often shows as yellowing and dieback. Let the soil dry well before watering again.

Can Japanese yew grow in shade?

Yes. It grows in full sun, dappled light or partial shade. Shade keeps the soil moist longer, so wait for it to dry a few inches down before watering.

Why do some yews have red berries?

Only female plants make the red, fleshy arils. Birds eat them and scatter the seeds. Watering has no effect on whether a plant fruits.

Does Japanese yew need pruning?

Regular pruning keeps its shape, since it can reach 10 to 25 feet. A plant kept smaller has a smaller root zone to cover with drip.

How well does Japanese yew handle dry spells?

Once established it copes with short dry spells better than with wet feet. Where WUCOLS has evaluated it, the rating is moderate water, so soak it deeply when the soil dries several inches down.

More plant watering guides

Chilean JessamineEvergreen ClematisBushy ClematisHarlequin GlorybowerSakakiLily of the ValleyEddie's White Wonder DogwoodRed-Barked Dogwood

Sources