How often to water Meyer's yew in California
In July on the north-central coast, established Meyer's yew 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. Meyer's yew is a named yew, an evergreen conifer with short, flat, dark green needles. Like all yews it takes heavy pruning well, so it suits hedges, screens and shaped shrubs. Female plants bear red, fleshy cups around each seed when a male is nearby. Every part of a yew is highly poisonous, and poor drainage leads to root rot.
How often to water Meyer's yew, 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 3 inches down under the shrub in summer means Meyer's yew is ready for a soak
- Needles browning on the sunny side of a young plant can follow dry soil and too much sun
- Needles yellowing inside the shrub over soggy soil point to root rot
- Dull, speckled needles can point to mites, not a water problem
How to water it
- Lay drip line or a soaker hose around the base
- Soak about a foot deep, then let the top few inches dry
- Plant in sun to part shade in well-drained, slightly acid soil
- Shelter it from strong winds
- Prune each year to keep its shape and density
Through the seasons
Water a new plant regularly through its first summer. Established yews want moderate, deep watering in dry months and soil that drains well. Young plants can dry out in strong sun, so watch them closely in heat. It stays evergreen all year and takes regular pruning. WUCOLS gives Meyer's yew a moderate water rating on the north-central coast. The Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert and the low desert have no WUCOLS evaluation for it.
In pots
Meyer's yew grows well in containers. Use a well-drained, slightly acid mix. Once the upper couple of inches feel dry, water until it flows from the holes. In summer, check every few days, and shade a young plant from hot afternoon sun. Never let it sit in water, since wet roots rot. Keep fallen arils away from pets. In winter, water only when the mix dries.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Meyer's Yew as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Meyer's Yew: 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 Meyer's yew. 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 Meyer's 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 much water does Meyer's yew need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established Meyer's yew 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 Meyer's yew change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Meyer's yew 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 evaluated 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 Meyer's yew poisonous?
Yes, yews have high severity poison characteristics. Keep children and pets from chewing needles or seeds. Wear gloves when pruning.
Can Meyer's yew grow in shade?
It grows in full sun to partial shade. Too much shade slows growth. Too much sun can dry out young plants.
Why is my yew turning yellow?
Yellowing over wet soil often means root rot from poor drainage. Improve drainage and water less. Check the roots.
Can I prune Meyer's yew hard?
Yes, yews withstand heavy pruning. Annual pruning keeps the shape and density. Water well after a hard cut.
Why are there red berries on my yew?
Female plants form red, fleshy arils around the seeds when a male is nearby. The seeds are poisonous. Clean them up where pets play.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Taxus 'Meyeri', 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