How often to water pink cedar in California
In July on the south coast, established pink cedar 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. Pink cedar is a fast-growing deciduous tree from South Asia, not a true cedar, that reaches about 70 feet in Southern California. It has a straight, light gray trunk, sometimes buttressed, and a rounded crown. New leaflets emerge reddish pink, turn pinkish yellow, then lime green. In early spring, scarlet flowers with protruding red stamens appear as the tree leafs out.
How often to water pink cedar, 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 a foot down under the canopy in summer means pink cedar can take a deep soak
- New leaves wilting in a hot, dry spell point to thirst
- Colorful new leaves in pink and yellow are normal spring growth
- Yellowing leaves in soggy soil point to too much water
How to water it
- Water deeply, then let the top several inches dry
- Plant in full sun with room for a very tall tree
- Use well-drained soil
- Keep it away from small yards and buildings
- Mulch the wide root zone
Through the seasons
Water a young tree regularly through its first summers while it grows quickly. Established trees want moderate, deep watering in the dry months, since this is a big, fast tree. Flowers come in early spring as leaves emerge, and new leaves change color through spring and summer. On the south coast, WUCOLS rates pink cedar moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Pink cedar grows far too fast and tall for a container beyond its first season or two, so a pot is only a short holding stage. A young tree can wait in a deep pot of well-drained mix. Water when the top few inches dry, then let it drain. In summer, check every couple of days. Do not let it stand in water. Plant it out early in full sun with plenty of room.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Pink Cedar as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Pink Cedar: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | – | – | 0.78 | – | – | – |
| Feb | – | – | 0.81 | – | – | – |
| Mar | – | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Apr | – | – | 1.4 | – | – | – |
| May | – | – | 1.61 | – | – | – |
| Jun | – | – | 1.74 | – | – | – |
| Jul | – | – | 1.98 | – | – | – |
| Aug | – | – | 1.86 | – | – | – |
| Sep | – | – | 1.49 | – | – | – |
| Oct | – | – | 1.15 | – | – | – |
| Nov | – | – | 0.84 | – | – | – |
| Dec | – | – | 0.65 | – | – | – |
| Year | – | – | 15.5 | – | – | – |
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 pink cedar. 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
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 pink cedar, 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 pink cedar need per day?
In July on the south coast, established pink cedar 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 pink cedar change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates pink cedar separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.
Is pink cedar a real cedar?
No, it is a deciduous tree in the pea family from South Asia. The common name is misleading. It is unrelated to true cedars.
How big does pink cedar get?
It grows fast, often to about 70 feet in Southern California. It can reach 120 feet in the tropics. It needs lots of space.
Why are pink cedar leaves pink?
New leaflets emerge reddish pink, then turn pinkish yellow and lime green. The branch tips look multicolored much of the spring and summer. It is normal.
When does pink cedar bloom?
Scarlet flowers appear in early spring, just before or as the tree leafs out. The red stamens are showy. They sit near the branch tips.
How cold hardy is pink cedar?
It is hardy only to about 25 to 30 degrees F. It suits frost-free coastal gardens. Protect young trees.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, 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