WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Cordyline australis, WUCOLS IV

How often to water New Zealand cabbage tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established New Zealand cabbage tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. New Zealand cabbage tree starts as a fountain of sword-like leaves, then slowly forms trunks, each topped by its own leaf rosette. Mature plants can reach 30 feet. Fragrant cream flower clusters appear in late spring and early summer, though not every year. It is fairly drought tolerant near the coast but grows more lush with regular water.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water New Zealand cabbage tree, 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 New Zealand cabbage tree 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 4 to 6 inches down beside the trunk tells you New Zealand cabbage tree can use a deep soak
  • Leaf tips browning back during a long, hot dry spell inland can mean the roots need water
  • Growth that stays thin in inland heat can reflect too little water, since it grows more lush with regular irrigation
  • A soft, discolored trunk base in soggy ground points to rot from poor drainage
  • Leaves browned on the windward side near the beach point to salt wind rather than dry soil

How to water it

  • Water New Zealand cabbage tree around the base with drip, letting water soak in rather than run off
  • Wet the soil about a foot deep, then let it dry several inches down before the next soak
  • Plant in full coastal sun or light shade in soil with good drainage
  • Keep mulch thin and a hand's width from the trunk so the base stays dry
  • Spread emitters around each new trunk as the plant branches and its root zone widens

Through the seasons

Water a new New Zealand cabbage tree regularly through its first summer, then let the soil dry more between soakings. Established plants keep their leaves all year and branch slowly into a tree. Flowering comes in late spring and early summer in some years, not all. Winter rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley, but desert plants need checks in dry winters. WUCOLS rates New Zealand cabbage tree low water on the north-central coast and the south coast. It rates moderate water in the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert and the low desert.

In pots

A young New Zealand cabbage tree makes a bold container plant while its leaf fountain is still low. Use a heavy container with drainage holes and a gritty, free-draining mix. In summer, check 2 inches down every few days and water when dry, more often inland than near the coast. Empty the saucer after watering. Planted out, it takes cold to about 15 degrees, but potted roots are more exposed, so shelter the pot in a hard freeze.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.761.52.33.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

New Zealand Cabbage Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.40.310.780.740.78
Feb0.210.650.320.870.930.93
Mar0.351.090.461.31.461.52
Apr0.471.520.561.611.891.95
May0.582.080.641.952.392.45
Jun0.642.480.692.292.852.79
Jul0.642.670.792.513.042.85
Aug0.62.390.742.332.792.6
Sep0.51.80.61.862.142.08
Oct0.351.180.461.331.461.49
Nov0.190.560.330.90.930.96
Dec0.120.340.260.680.650.68
Year4.817.116.218.4121.2721.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like New Zealand cabbage tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than New Zealand cabbage tree in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes New Zealand cabbage tree, 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 New Zealand cabbage tree in summer?

In July, established New Zealand cabbage tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 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 New Zealand cabbage tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established New Zealand cabbage tree needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 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 New Zealand cabbage tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates New Zealand cabbage tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How tall does New Zealand cabbage tree get?

Young plants are a 2 to 3 foot fountain of leaves, and mature plants can reach 15 to 30 feet. It forms one to several trunks over the years. Move irrigation outward as new trunks form.

Is New Zealand cabbage tree invasive?

It self-sows and can become weedy, especially in cool, foggy coastal areas. Pull seedlings early and avoid planting it beside wild land.

Can New Zealand cabbage tree grow near the beach?

Yes, with some protection from salt-laden wind. Exposed leaves can brown on the ocean side. Near the coast it needs less irrigation than inland.

How cold can New Zealand cabbage tree take?

It is hardy to around 15 degrees, and a little lower in some reports. A plant in a container feels cold sooner than one in the ground.

Can you overwater New Zealand cabbage tree?

Yes. It needs good drainage, and a trunk base kept wet can rot. Let the soil dry several inches down between soakings, especially in cool weather.

More plant watering guides

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Sources