How often to water miyabe maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established miyabe 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. Miyabe maple is a deciduous tree from Japan that can grow very tall over decades, with green leaves up to 6 inches across cut into five blunt-toothed lobes. Leaf stalks bleed milky sap when broken. Small yellow-green flowers in spring give way to winged fruits, and the leaves turn yellow in fall. It wants moisture-retentive soil and dislikes long drought.
How often to water miyabe 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
- Miyabe maple leaves curling or scorching at the edges while the soil is dry a few inches down mean it needs water
- Wilting on one branch at a time can point to Verticillium wilt, not thirst
- Yellowing leaves on soil that stays waterlogged point to poor drainage
- Yellow leaves in fall are normal color, not stress
How to water it
- Water deeply across the root zone when the soil dries a few inches down
- Plant in sun or part shade in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil without lime
- Mulch the root zone to keep the soil cool and moist
- Do not let it go through long dry spells
- Prune only from late fall to midwinter, and keep cuts minimal
Through the seasons
Water a young tree regularly through its first summers so roots spread. Established trees still want moderate, steady moisture through the dry season, since they dislike drought. It drops its leaves in fall after turning yellow and needs little water while bare. Winter rain usually covers it on the north-central coast. WUCOLS rates miyabe maple moderate water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland or the high desert.
In pots
Miyabe maple is a large tree and suits a pot only while young. Use a large container and a moisture-holding, lime-free mix that still drains. Water when the top inch or two dries, until it drains through. In summer, check every day or two. Empty the saucer each time. Plant it out within a few years. While it is bare in winter, water only when the mix dries.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Miyabe Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Miyabe 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 miyabe 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
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 rating
Abyssinian Coral TreeErythrina abyssinicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes miyabe 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 miyabe maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established miyabe 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 miyabe maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates miyabe 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 evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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.
How big does miyabe maple get?
It is a large tree that can reach about 80 feet over 20 to 50 years. Give it plenty of room. It is not a small garden maple.
Does miyabe maple have fall color?
Yes, its leaves turn yellow in fall. The tree is bare through winter. Spring brings small yellow-green flowers.
When should I prune miyabe maple?
Prune only from late fall to midwinter. Little pruning is needed. Remove only dead or crossing branches.
What problems affect miyabe maple?
Gall mites, aphids, caterpillars and scale can appear. Verticillium wilt, leaf scorch and honey fungus are possible. Healthy, unstressed trees cope best.
Why is there milky sap on my maple?
Miyabe maple leaf stalks exude milky sap when broken. It is normal for this species. It is not a sign of disease.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer miyabei, 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