How often to water madrone in California
In July in the Central Valley, established madrone 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. Madrone is a native evergreen tree of the coast ranges and northern Sierra, famous for red-orange bark that peels to reveal smooth, greenish wood. White urn-shaped flowers in spring give way to red berries that birds love. It is slow and fussy to establish, needs perfect drainage, and suffers from too much water or fertilizer.
How often to water madrone, 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 under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry a foot down beyond the canopy in a young tree's first summers signals a young madrone needs a deep soak
- Leaves curling and browning at the tips in hot inland summers can indicate drought stress beyond its natural range
- Dark leaf spots and branch cankers point to fungal disease rather than a simple water shortage
- Yellowing leaves and a wilting crown over soggy soil suggest root rot from overwatering
How to water it
- Water in a wide ring away from the trunk, never right at its base
- Soak deeply only when the soil is dry well down, then let it dry again
- Plant in very well-drained, low fertility soil, ideally on a slope
- Mulch the root zone and skip fertilizer entirely
- In hot inland gardens, give a little indirect summer water and afternoon shade
Through the seasons
Young trees need careful deep soaks in their first summers, then very little. In hotter, drier areas than its natural range, it still seems to need some indirect summer water. It is evergreen, shedding some bark, leaves and fruit all year. It grows slowly where it is not happy, so patience beats extra water. Inland in the Central Valley and along the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates madrone low water. Southern and desert regions are a poor match: WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Madrone is hard to transplant and does poorly in containers for long. Keep a young tree in a deep pot only until it can be planted. Use very fast-draining, lean mix. Water only when the top few inches are dry, then let it drain completely. Never leave water in the saucer. Plant it out before roots circle the pot. Shade the pot from hot afternoon sun while it waits.
- A year
- 6.84 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Madrone: 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 | 0.16 | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | 0.26 | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | 0.43 | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | 0.61 | – | – | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | 0.83 | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | 0.99 | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | 1.07 | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | 0.95 | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | 0.72 | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | 0.47 | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | 0.22 | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | 0.14 | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | 6.84 | – | – | – | – |
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 madrone. 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 July
Fig TreesFicus carica 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
AloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
EucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Texas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Portuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Soapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Necklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Bailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Silver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Green WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes madrone, 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 much water does madrone need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established madrone 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 madrone change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates madrone separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region 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.
Why is my madrone bark peeling?
Peeling red-orange bark is normal and one of madrone's best features. It reveals smooth, greenish wood beneath. Shedding of bark, leaves and fruit goes on year round.
Why is madrone hard to grow?
It is difficult to transplant and slow to establish. It needs perfect drainage and good air flow. Too much water or fertilizer brings root rot and disease.
Can madrone grow in a lawn?
No, lawn watering keeps its roots too wet. Plant it in an unirrigated, well-drained area. Mulch instead of turf.
Are madrone berries edible?
The red berries are edible, though birds usually eat most of them. They ripen in fall. Expect some fruit drop under the tree.
Where does madrone grow best?
It does best near the coast, with sun to light shade. Young trees like the shade of oaks and other companions. Inland, give it afternoon shade.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Arbutus menziesii, 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