WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Pachypodium lamerei, WUCOLS IV

How often to water pachypodium in California

In July on the north-central coast, established pachypodium in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Pachypodium, often called Madagascar palm, is a slow-growing succulent with a stout gray trunk. Long, sharp spines cover the trunk, and a tuft of narrow, glossy leaves sits on top. Mature plants bear large, fragrant white flowers. It drops its leaves to rest in winter, wants excellent drainage, and frost easily harms it.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water pachypodium, 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 pachypodium 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 3 inches down beside the trunk in summer, while leaves are on, signals pachypodium can take a soak
  • Leaves yellowing and dropping in fall and winter is its normal dormancy, not thirst
  • A wrinkled, softening trunk in summer can indicate a long dry spell while in leaf
  • A mushy trunk base or blackened top over cold, wet soil points to rot from overwatering

How to water it

  • Water at the base, away from the trunk, only while the plant is in leaf
  • Soak deeply but rarely, then let the soil dry completely
  • Plant in full sun in fast-draining soil, raised where clay holds water
  • Stop watering when leaves drop for winter
  • Protect it from frost with a cover or a warm, sheltered wall

Through the seasons

Pachypodium grows in spring and summer and goes dormant in winter, dropping its leaves. Water only while it is in leaf, and keep it dry during dormancy, since cold, wet soil rots the trunk. It is hardy to frost only to about 28 degrees F. It rarely flowers indoors. WUCOLS rates pachypodium very low water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. In the low desert it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley or the high desert.

In pots

Pachypodium is most often grown in a pot of fast-draining cactus mix, which makes winter protection easy. While it is in leaf from spring through summer, water deeply once the mix is dry, then let it drain completely. Never leave it in a saucer. When leaves drop in fall, keep the mix dry until new growth shows. Move it under cover before frost. Handle it with thick gloves.

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

WUCOLS lists Pachypodium as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Pachypodium: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.04–0.080.08–0.78
Feb0.05–0.080.09–0.93
Mar0.09–0.110.13–1.52
Apr0.12–0.140.16–1.95
May0.15–0.160.2–2.45
Jun0.16–0.170.23–2.79
Jul0.16–0.20.25–2.85
Aug0.15–0.190.23–2.6
Sep0.12–0.150.19–2.08
Oct0.09–0.110.13–1.49
Nov0.05–0.080.09–0.96
Dec0.03–0.070.07–0.68
Year1.2–1.551.84–21.08

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 not evaluated in the Central Valley, like pachypodium. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMiyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEverglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingNew Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFormosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingNeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmerican HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJapanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmerican YellowwoodCladrastis kentukeanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGiant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingButterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not 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 pachypodium, 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 pachypodium in summer?

In July, established pachypodium in loam needs a deep watering about once a month or less on the south coast and about once a month or less 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 pachypodium need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established pachypodium needs about 0.4 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 1.6 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 pachypodium change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates pachypodium separately for each of the six California climate zones: very low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, very low water in the South Coastal zone, very low water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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.

Why did my pachypodium lose its leaves?

It goes dormant in winter and drops its leaves. Stop watering until new leaves appear in spring. Keep it frost-free.

Is pachypodium a palm?

No, it is a spiny succulent in the dogbane family, despite the name Madagascar palm. Its trunk stores water. Treat it like a cactus in winter.

How cold can pachypodium get?

Temperatures much below about 28 degrees F damage it. Cover it or move it indoors on cold nights. Keep the soil dry when it is cold.

Why is my pachypodium branching?

It usually grows as a single trunk, but injury or frost can make it branch. That is harmless. Keep it dry while it heals.

Does pachypodium flower?

Older plants open big, scented white blooms with twisted petals in the warm months. Indoor plants rarely bloom. Full sun outdoors helps.

More plant watering guides

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Sources