WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Corymbia ficifolia (Eucalyptus ficifolia), WUCOLS IV

How often to water red flowering gum in California

In July on the north-central coast, established red flowering gum in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Red flowering gum is a long-lived evergreen tree from the southwestern coast of Western Australia, with a dense crown that often spreads wider than its height. Its rough, fissured bark does not shed, and dark green leaves hang from somewhat drooping branches. Showy flat-topped clusters of red, orange or pink flowers appear, followed by large woody capsules.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water red flowering gum, 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 red flowering gum 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

  • Bone-dry soil a foot down beside a newly planted red flowering gum in summer means it needs water
  • Yellowing leaves and dieback where water pools around the trunk point to poor drainage
  • Soft new shoots drooping in hot afternoons on a young tree can mean thirst
  • Large woody capsules littering the ground is normal

How to water it

  • Water regularly for the first season or two so roots establish
  • After that, give infrequent, deep soaks only
  • Choose full sun and soil that drains quickly
  • It is a proven seaside tree, so coastal gardens suit it
  • Keep lawn sprinklers and puddles away from the trunk

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly until it is established. After that, it needs only infrequent deep soaks, with a bit more in South Inland. Most bloom comes in late summer, and a few flowers can appear at other times of year. Red flowering gum gets a low water rating from WUCOLS along the north-central coast and on the south coast. South Inland gets a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks the Central Valley, the high desert and the low desert as not suited.

In pots

Red flowering gum grows too large for a pot beyond its early years, though a young tree can wait in one for a while. Use a deep container of fast-draining mix. Water when the top few inches dry, then let it drain fully. In summer heat, look at it every few days. Do not let water collect underneath. Plant it out while young in full sun, with room for a broad crown.

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

WUCOLS lists Red Flowering Gum as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Red Flowering Gum: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.15–0.310.78––
Feb0.21–0.320.87––
Mar0.35–0.461.3––
Apr0.47–0.561.61––
May0.58–0.641.95––
Jun0.64–0.692.29––
Jul0.64–0.792.51––
Aug0.6–0.742.33––
Sep0.5–0.61.86––
Oct0.35–0.461.33––
Nov0.19–0.330.9––
Dec0.12–0.260.68––
Year4.8–6.218.41––

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 red flowering gum. 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 red flowering gum, 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 red flowering gum in summer?

In July, established red flowering gum in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 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 red flowering gum need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established red flowering gum 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 red flowering gum change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates red flowering gum 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, low 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, 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.

When does red flowering gum bloom?

Most bloom comes in late summer, with sporadic flowers through the year. Colors range from red to orange, pink or rose. Woody capsules follow.

Is red flowering gum a good coastal tree?

Yes, it is a good coastal tree and handles seaside conditions. It needs good drainage. It is long-lived.

Does red flowering gum shed bark?

No, its rough, fissured bark does not shed like many eucalyptus. It stays dark and textured. It can be red-brown, black-brown or gray-brown.

How big does red flowering gum get?

It grows 25 to 40 feet tall and often wider than tall. Its crown is dense and compact. Give it room to spread.

How should I water red flowering gum?

Water regularly until established, then infrequently and deeply. Avoid soggy soil. Good drainage is key.

More plant watering guides

Dragon TreeCandelabra TreeMilk BushBoojumOcotilloSilver TreeNew Zealand Christmas TreeTanbark Oak

Sources