WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Rhus lanceolata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water prairie flameleaf sumac in California

In July in the high desert, established prairie flameleaf sumac in loam needs a deep watering about every 18 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 22 gallons a week. Prairie flameleaf sumac is a loose, spreading small tree native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, usually 12 to 20 feet tall. Its shiny compound leaves blaze orange, red or yellow before they drop in autumn. Showy clusters of yellowish white flowers appear in summer, followed by hairy orange-red fruits that birds eat.

TreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water prairie flameleaf sumac, 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 prairie flameleaf sumac 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 a foot down around a young tree in its first summer means it can take a deep soak
  • Leaves yellowing and dropping in waterlogged soil point to poor drainage
  • Leaves coloring orange and red in fall is normal
  • New growth wilting on a young tree in desert heat can signal thirst

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply, then let the soil dry well between soakings
  • Give established trees only occasional deep water
  • Plant in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil
  • Accept clay, sand, loam, alkaline or acid soil if it drains
  • Prune when young for strong structure

Through the seasons

Water a young tree through its first summers while its roots spread. Established trees have high drought tolerance and need only occasional deep soaks in long dry spells. Flowers come in summer, fruit ripens in fall, and leaves color brightly before dropping. WUCOLS rates prairie flameleaf sumac low water in the high desert and the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the south coast or South Inland.

In pots

Prairie flameleaf sumac can grow in a large container or planter while young, making a small patio tree with bright fall color. Use a well-drained mix. Water when the top few inches dry, then let it drain fully. In summer, check every few days, more often in desert heat. Never let it sit in water. In winter, while it is bare, water only when the mix dries.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Prairie Flameleaf Sumac: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––––0.30.31
Feb––––0.370.37
Mar––––0.580.61
Apr––––0.760.78
May––––0.950.98
Jun––––1.141.12
Jul––––1.221.14
Aug––––1.121.04
Sep––––0.860.83
Oct––––0.580.6
Nov––––0.370.38
Dec––––0.260.27
Year––––8.518.43

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 prairie flameleaf sumac. 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 prairie flameleaf sumac, 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 prairie flameleaf sumac need per day?

In July in the high desert, established prairie flameleaf sumac needs about 3.1 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 12 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 prairie flameleaf sumac change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates prairie flameleaf sumac separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, low water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, low water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Does prairie flameleaf sumac have fall color?

Yes, its leaves turn brilliant orange, red or yellow in fall. Full sun gives the best show. Leaves drop for winter.

Is prairie flameleaf sumac drought tolerant?

Yes, it has high drought tolerance once established. Young trees need regular deep water. It suits desert gardens.

How big does prairie flameleaf sumac get?

Most grow 12 to 20 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. It is often multi-trunked. It suits small yards.

Do birds eat sumac fruit?

Yes, the hairy orange-red fruits attract birds. They ripen in fall. The fruit is not a litter problem.

What soil does prairie flameleaf sumac need?

It tolerates clay, sand, loam, alkaline and acid soils if they drain. Avoid soggy spots. Full sun is best.

More plant watering guides

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Sources