How often to water Pere David's maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established Pere David's 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. Pere David's maple is a snakebark maple from China, a fast-growing small to medium tree often trained with several trunks and arching branches. Young bark is striped green and white, and fall leaves turn red, orange or yellow. It likes partial shade to sun, average well-drained soil, and it grows best where summers stay cool.
How often to water Pere David's 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
- Soil dry 8 to 10 inches down under the canopy in summer signals that Pere David's maple needs a deep soak
- Leaf edges browning and curling on hot afternoons can indicate a dry root zone or too much sun
- Early fall color in midsummer can follow drought stress
- Leaves wilting while the soil stays wet point to verticillium wilt or root rot rather than thirst
- Pale, yellow leaves with green veins suggest chlorosis from alkaline soil rather than a water problem
How to water it
- Soak the root zone from near the trunk out past the branch tips with drip or a soaker
- Wet the soil about a foot deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
- Plant in well-drained soil with afternoon shade, away from reflected heat
- Mulch a wide circle under the canopy to keep shallow roots cool
- Add emitters farther out as the crown spreads
Through the seasons
Give a young tree deep, regular soaks through its first few summers while roots spread. Established trees still want moist, well-drained soil through the warm months. It is deciduous, coloring in fall and resting leafless in winter, when rain usually covers its needs on the coast. Fast growth makes branches prone to wind breakage. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates Pere David's maple moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland or the low desert. It has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast or the high desert.
In pots
A young Pere David's maple can grow for a few years in a large, deep container in a sheltered spot. Feel the mix 2 inches down and water once it is dry there, pouring until water leaves the drainage holes. In warm spells that can be every day or two. Empty the saucer so roots do not sit in water. Shade the pot from hot afternoon sun. In winter, while leafless, water lightly and only when the mix starts to dry.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Pere David's Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Pere David's 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 Pere David's 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
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 Pere David's 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 Pere David's maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established Pere David's 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 Pere David's maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Pere David's 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 suited to this region 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.
Why does Pere David's maple have striped bark?
It belongs to the snakebark maples, known for green and white striped bark. The stripes are boldest on young wood and fade as the trunk ages. Older trees still give winter interest.
Can Pere David's maple grow in hot inland gardens?
It does best in cool summer climates such as the Pacific Northwest. Hot sun scorches the leaves. Give it afternoon shade and steady moisture if you try it inland.
Why are my maple leaves yellow with green veins?
That pattern points to manganese chlorosis, common in alkaline soil. More water will not fix it. Test the soil and treat the deficiency.
What diseases affect Pere David's maple?
Verticillium wilt is the most serious and can be fatal. Canker, leaf spot and root rot can also occur. Avoid waterlogged soil and wounding the trunk.
How big does Pere David's maple get?
It can reach 30 to 50 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide, though it is often smaller and multi-trunked. It grows fast. Plant it where its spreading crown has room.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer davidii, 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