WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Handroanthus impetiginosus (Tabebuia impetiginosa ), WUCOLS IV

How often to water pink trumpet tree in California

In July on the north-central coast, established pink trumpet tree in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Pink trumpet tree, also called lavender trumpet tree, is a semi-evergreen tree from Mexico south to Argentina that grows 20 to 30 feet tall. Its leaves fan out in up to seven leaflets. In spring, just before new leaves emerge, large clusters of pink trumpet flowers with a white, yellow-striped throat cover the bare branches. Young trees may not bloom for some years.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water pink trumpet 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 pink trumpet 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

  • When a trowel finds dry soil well below the surface under the canopy in summer, the tree is ready for water
  • Leaves drooping by afternoon in inland heat can indicate thirst
  • Leaves dropping in late winter before bloom is normal for this tree
  • Yellowing leaves in soggy, poorly drained soil point to too much water

How to water it

  • Give regular to occasional deep watering in the dry season
  • Wait for the upper soil to dry out before the next soak
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil
  • Choose a warm spot, since hard frost can harm it
  • Be patient, since young trees may not flower yet

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summers. Established trees want regular to occasional deep watering, though some grow well with little water in mild coastal areas. Leaves thin before the spring bloom, then new foliage follows the flowers. It is hardy to brief cold of about 20 to 25 degrees F. WUCOLS rates pink trumpet tree low water on the north-central coast. On the south coast, in South Inland and in the low desert it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley or the high desert.

In pots

A young pink trumpet tree can grow in a large container on a sunny patio for a few years before it needs the ground. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, until water drains out. In summer, check every few days. Do not leave the pot in a full saucer. Move it to shelter on frosty nights. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

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

WUCOLS lists Pink Trumpet Tree as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Pink Trumpet Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.15–0.780.78–0.78
Feb0.21–0.810.87–0.93
Mar0.35–1.151.3–1.52
Apr0.47–1.41.61–1.95
May0.58–1.611.95–2.45
Jun0.64–1.742.29–2.79
Jul0.64–1.982.51–2.85
Aug0.6–1.862.33–2.6
Sep0.5–1.491.86–2.08
Oct0.35–1.151.33–1.49
Nov0.19–0.840.9–0.96
Dec0.12–0.650.68–0.68
Year4.8–15.518.41–21.08

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 suited to this region in the Central Valley, like pink trumpet tree. 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 pink trumpet 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 pink trumpet tree in summer?

In July, established pink trumpet tree 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 pink trumpet tree need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established pink trumpet tree needs about 1.6 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 6.5 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 trumpet tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates pink trumpet tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water 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, 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.

When does pink trumpet tree bloom?

It blooms in spring, just before the new leaves emerge. Large clusters of pink trumpets cover the branches. Young trees may not bloom yet.

Why isn't my young trumpet tree blooming?

Young trees often do not bloom for a few years. When they start, the show can be spectacular. Keep watering steady.

How cold hardy is pink trumpet tree?

It handles short cold snaps down to about 20 to 25 degrees F. Protect young trees from frost. A warm site helps.

How big does pink trumpet tree get?

It grows 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. Its gray trunk is fissured. It suits medium yards.

Does pink trumpet tree lose its leaves?

It is semi-evergreen and often thins before bloom. New leaves follow the flowers. That is normal.

More plant watering guides

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Sources