How often to water Manchurian striped maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established Manchurian striped maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 29 gallons a week. Manchurian striped maple is a small deciduous tree from northeast Asia, 20 to 35 feet tall. It is prized for green and white striped bark with blue-green highlights, which stays showy longer than on most snakebark maples. Its lobed leaves turn bright yellow in fall. It grows in average, well-drained soil with moderate moisture, in full sun to dappled shade.
How often to water Manchurian striped maple, 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 8 inches down under the canopy in summer signals Manchurian striped maple needs a soak
- Leaves scorching brown at the edges in hot afternoon sun can indicate dry soil or heat stress
- Early yellowing and leaf drop in late summer can follow a dry root zone
- Wilting leaves while the soil stays wet suggest root trouble from poor drainage
How to water it
- Water the root zone under the canopy with drip or a soaker
- Soak about a foot down, then water again as the top few inches dry
- Plant in average, well-drained soil in full sun to dappled shade
- Mulch the root zone to keep moisture even
- Keep lawn sprinklers off the trunk
Through the seasons
Water a young tree steadily through its first summers while roots spread. Established trees still want moderate, even moisture. It is deciduous, with yellow-green spring flowers, winged seeds and bright yellow fall color, then bare striped branches in winter. WUCOLS rates Manchurian striped maple moderate water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert. It has not evaluated it for the Central Valley or South Inland.
In pots
A young Manchurian striped maple can grow in a large container for a few years, showing off its bark on a patio. Use well-drained mix and water when the top inch or two dries, until it drains. In summer, check every day or two. Empty the saucer each time. Shade the pot from hot afternoon sun. After leaf drop, water lightly through winter. Repot in early spring if roots fill the container.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Manchurian Striped Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Manchurian Striped Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 evaluated in the Central Valley, like Manchurian striped maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Miyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Everglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
YellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
New Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
NeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Bismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Japanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Giant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Butterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Manchurian striped maple, 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 Manchurian striped maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established Manchurian striped maple needs about 4.1 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 16 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 Manchurian striped maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Manchurian striped maple separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated 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 maple bark striped?
It is a snakebark maple, with green and white striped bark and blue-green highlights. It keeps its stripes longer into maturity than many others. That makes it a strong winter feature.
How big does Manchurian striped maple get?
It reaches about 20 to 35 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide. That suits smaller yards. Give it room to spread.
What color is Manchurian striped maple in fall?
Its lobed leaves turn bright yellow. They drop to reveal the striped bark. Winged seeds also form in fall.
Does Manchurian striped maple have pest problems?
It has no significant problems. Most trouble comes from heat, dry soil or poor drainage. Keep moisture steady.
Can it grow in shade?
It grows in full sun to dappled shade. Shade also slows soil drying.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer tegmentosum, 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