WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Corymbia citriodora (Eucalyptus citriodora), WUCOLS IV

How often to water lemon scented gum in California

In July on the north-central coast, established lemon scented gum in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Lemon scented gum is a tall, fast-growing evergreen tree from northeastern Australia, often 60 to 100 feet or more. Its smooth, powdery white to pinkish trunk sheds bark in late summer, and its narrow leaves smell strongly of lemon when crushed. It wants full sun and well-drained soil, and coastal trees need little to no summer water once established.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water lemon scented gum, 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 lemon scented gum 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

  • A newly planted gum with soil dry two feet down in its early summers is ready for a slow, deep soak
  • Leaves hanging limp and the crown thinning during a hot inland summer can indicate drought stress
  • Bark peeling in late summer and fall is normal and not a sign of thirst
  • Yellowing leaves and dieback in poorly drained, wet soil suggest overwatering

How to water it

  • Water a young tree in a wide ring well out from the trunk
  • Soak 2 feet deep, then let the soil dry well before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil with plenty of room overhead
  • Taper water once established, especially near the coast
  • Keep it away from lawns and beds that stay wet

Through the seasons

Water a young lemon scented gum deeply through its first summers. Near the coast, mature trees get by with little to no summer irrigation, while inland trees benefit from occasional deep soaks. It is evergreen, with small white flowers in mid to late winter. Frost below about 24 degrees F can damage it. For the north-central coast and the south coast, WUCOLS lists lemon scented gum as low water. South Inland and the low desert get a moderate water rating. The Central Valley and high desert are a poor fit, and WUCOLS marks them not suited for this tree.

In pots

Lemon scented gum grows far too tall for a container beyond its first season. A young tree can grow briefly in a deep pot of well-drained mix. Push a finger a few inches into the mix and water only once it feels dry there. Let the surplus drain through the holes. On hot inland days the pot may need checking every few days. Never leave water standing in the saucer. Plant it out young into its permanent spot.

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

WUCOLS lists Lemon Scented Gum as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Lemon Scented Gum: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.15–0.310.78–0.78
Feb0.21–0.320.87–0.93
Mar0.35–0.461.3–1.52
Apr0.47–0.561.61–1.95
May0.58–0.641.95–2.45
Jun0.64–0.692.29–2.79
Jul0.64–0.792.51–2.85
Aug0.6–0.742.33–2.6
Sep0.5–0.61.86–2.08
Oct0.35–0.461.33–1.49
Nov0.19–0.330.9–0.96
Dec0.12–0.260.68–0.68
Year4.8–6.218.41–21.08

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 not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like lemon scented gum. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Sugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSpotted GumCorymbia maculata (Eucalyptus maculata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDove TreeDavidia involucratanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoyal PoincianaDelonix regianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTriangle PalmDypsis decaryinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain White GumEucalyptus dalrympleananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRainbow EucalyptusEucalyptus degluptanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRoxburgh FigFicus auriculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingIndian BanyanFicus benghalensisnot 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 lemon scented gum, 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 lemon scented gum in summer?

In July, established lemon scented gum in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 9 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 lemon scented gum need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established lemon scented gum needs about 1.6 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 6.5 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 lemon scented gum change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates lemon scented gum separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region 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 does lemon scented gum smell like lemon?

Its leaves contain citronellal, an oil with a strong lemon scent. Crush a leaf to smell it. The oil is distilled for perfumes and insect repellents.

Why is my gum tree shedding bark?

Shedding bark is normal, usually in late summer into fall. It reveals a smooth white to pinkish trunk that turns reddish when wet. No change in watering is needed.

How cold can lemon scented gum get?

It is hardy to about 24 degrees F. Protect new plantings on cold nights.

How tall does lemon scented gum grow?

It can top 100 feet, with a spread of 25 to 40 feet. Plant it only where it has room. Keep it clear of power lines and buildings.

Does lemon scented gum need summer water?

Near the coast, established trees need little to no summer water. Inland, give occasional deep soaks in long, hot summers. Young trees need regular deep water.

More plant watering guides

Solomon's SealQuaking AspenShaving Brush TreeCommon GuavaFlame VineNikau PalmCup-of-Gold VineAfrican Tulip Tree

Sources