WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ficus macrophylla, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Moreton Bay fig in California

In July on the south coast, established Moreton Bay fig in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 35 gallons a week. Moreton Bay fig is a huge, subtropical evergreen tree from eastern Australia with buttressed trunks, widely spreading branches and leathery leaves up to a foot long, brownish beneath. Aerial roots can drop from the branches and become extra trunks. Its aggressive root system means it is rarely suited to home gardens, but it thrives as a park tree in warm coastal California.

TreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Moreton Bay fig, 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 Moreton Bay fig 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

  • Soil dry 2 feet down under the canopy of a young tree in summer signals Moreton Bay fig needs a deep soak
  • Leathery leaves dropping in numbers during a hot, dry spell can indicate drought stress
  • Yellowing leaves and thinning over constantly soggy soil suggest drainage trouble
  • Sticky leaves and sooty mold point to scale or aphids rather than a water problem

How to water it

  • Water a young tree broadly beyond the canopy edge with soakers
  • Soak about 2 feet deep, then let the upper soil dry before the next soak
  • Plant only where its roots and wide crown have ample room, far from paving and pipes
  • Give it fertile soil in a warm, frost-free spot
  • Taper water as the tree matures

Through the seasons

Water a young Moreton Bay fig deeply through its first summers. Established trees still benefit from deep soaks in long dry spells. It is evergreen and comes from subtropical rainforests, so frost is its main limit. Its roots spread aggressively, so plan for space before planting. Of the six regions, only the south coast and South Inland have a WUCOLS rating, both moderate water. For the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the high desert and the low desert, WUCOLS marks this fig as not suited.

In pots

Moreton Bay fig becomes far too large for the ground of most yards, but young plants are sometimes kept in large containers. Use a fertile, well-drained mix and water when the top couple of inches dry, letting it drain fully. In summer heat, check every few days. Empty the saucer. Wear gloves when pruning, since the sap can irritate skin. In winter, water less and keep the pot frost-free.

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

WUCOLS lists Moreton Bay Fig as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Moreton Bay Fig: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.780.78––
Feb––0.810.87––
Mar––1.151.3––
Apr––1.41.61––
May––1.611.95––
Jun––1.742.29––
Jul––1.982.51––
Aug––1.862.33––
Sep––1.491.86––
Oct––1.151.33––
Nov––0.840.9––
Dec––0.650.68––
Year––15.518.41––

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 Moreton Bay fig. 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 Moreton Bay fig, 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 Moreton Bay fig in summer?

In July, established Moreton Bay fig in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 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 Moreton Bay fig need per day?

In July on the south coast, established Moreton Bay fig needs about 5.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 20 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 Moreton Bay fig change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Moreton Bay fig separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate 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, 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 Moreton Bay fig rarely planted in yards?

It grows into a giant tree with an aggressive root system. Roots can lift paving and invade pipes. It suits parks and large estates.

What are the hanging roots?

They are aerial roots that drop from the branches. When they reach the ground, they can thicken into secondary trunks. That is normal for this fig.

Does Moreton Bay fig make fruit?

Yes, small round figs ripen from green with cream spots to purple. They drop from the tree in quantity.

Is Moreton Bay fig sap irritating?

It can act as a skin allergen. Wear gloves when pruning. Wash hands after handling cuttings.

How cold can Moreton Bay fig get?

It comes from frost-free subtropical forests and needs a warm site. Frost damages young trees. Plant it only in mild coastal areas.

More plant watering guides

Indian BanyanWeeping Chinese BanyanRubber PlantFiddleleaf FigIndian Laurel FigBo-TreeRusty Leaf FigFranklin Tree

Sources