How often to water kangaroo apple in California
In July in the Central Valley, established kangaroo apple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Kangaroo apple is a large, fast evergreen shrub from Australia that can reach 8 to 13 feet. Its leaves are long and either simple or deeply lobed, and light purplish blue flowers about 2 inches wide open with broad, triangular petals. Egg-shaped, light orange fruits follow. It is frost tender and does well in bright light, screened from the harshest midday sun.
How often to water kangaroo apple, month by month
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.
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 the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Sandy loam turning dry a few inches down under the shrub in summer means kangaroo apple can take water
- Big lobed leaves sagging by afternoon point to a dry root zone, more often inland
- Leaves blackening after a cold night point to frost damage, not water
- Fine speckling and webbing under leaves point to spider mites rather than thirst
How to water it
- Water deeply while it grows, then let the top few inches dry
- Give occasional summer water near the coast and steadier water inland
- Plant in sun or part shade in loam or sandy soil that drains
- Shield it from the hottest afternoon sun
- Plant it out only after frost danger has passed
Through the seasons
Water new plants regularly as they put on fast growth. Established shrubs want deep watering in the growing season, light near the coast and more generous in the warm Central Valley and on the south coast. It stays evergreen but frost can damage it, so plant after frost danger has passed. WUCOLS rates kangaroo apple low water on the north-central coast. In the Central Valley and on the south coast it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Kangaroo apple can grow in a large pot on a patio, where its flowers and orange fruit can be seen up close. Use a loam-based, well-drained mix. While it is growing, water freely whenever the top inch or two dries, letting excess drain. In summer, check every day or two. Empty the saucer. Move the pot under cover on frosty nights, and water less through winter.
- A year
- 17.11 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Kangaroo Apple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.15 | 0.4 | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | 0.65 | 0.81 | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | 1.09 | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | 1.52 | 1.4 | – | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | 2.08 | 1.61 | – | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | 2.48 | 1.74 | – | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | 2.67 | 1.98 | – | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | 2.39 | 1.86 | – | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.49 | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | 1.18 | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | 0.56 | 0.84 | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | 0.34 | 0.65 | – | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | 17.11 | 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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like kangaroo apple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
AzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
CamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
GardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Bird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
HibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Sago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Star JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
ArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
BambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
LilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
SpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Butterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
SageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Western ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySimilar plants that need less water 16
Rated lower than kangaroo apple in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.
LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
RosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
BougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Crape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
LantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
AloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Russian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
SagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Wild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
CoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Blue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes kangaroo apple, 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 kangaroo apple in summer?
In July, established kangaroo apple 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 kangaroo apple need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established kangaroo apple needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.
Does watering for kangaroo apple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates kangaroo apple separately for each of the six California climate zones: low 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 kangaroo apple frost hardy?
No, it is frost tender. Plant it out after frost danger has passed. Cover young plants on cold nights.
Are kangaroo apple fruits edible?
It is in the nightshade family, and the egg-shaped orange fruits should be treated as ornamental. Do not eat them. Keep children away from them.
How big does kangaroo apple get?
It can grow 8 to 13 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. It grows fast. Give it room or prune it back.
What pests bother kangaroo apple?
Spider mites and aphids can attack it. Gray mold may show up in damp weather. Check under the leaves.
Does kangaroo apple need shade?
It grows in full sun or part shade, with shade from hot sun. Inland, afternoon shade helps. Near the coast it takes more sun.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Solanum aviculare, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf