How often to water redvein maple in California
In July on the north-central coast, established redvein 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. Redvein maple is a deciduous snakebark maple from Japan, named for the reddish down on its leaf veins. It grows fast and hardy, topping out at 30 to 40 feet. Spring flowers lead to winged seeds in fall, when the leaves turn yellow and red. It accepts most soils except damp or wet ground, and it is relatively short-lived.
How often to water redvein 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 4 inches down under the canopy in summer means redvein maple wants a deep soak
- Leaves curling or scorching at the edges in hot, dry weather can follow dry soil
- Leaves dropping early in late summer can indicate drought stress
- Yellowing leaves over soggy, slow-draining soil point to too much water
How to water it
- Water at the drip line with drip or a soaker ring
- Soak a foot or more deep, then let the top few inches dry
- Plant in full sun in soil that drains, avoiding wet spots
- Mulch the root zone and keep mulch off the trunk
- Use it as a shade tree or specimen in a woodland garden
Through the seasons
Water a young tree regularly through its first few summers. Established trees want moderate, deep soaks through the dry season, without leaving the soil wet. Leaves color yellow and red in fall and drop for winter, and winged seeds ripen then. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates redvein maple moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert, and has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast or South Inland.
In pots
Redvein maple grows fast, so a container suits only a young tree for a few years. Use a large pot and a well-drained mix. Water once the top couple of inches dry, and soak until water runs out. Summer heat can dry a pot quickly, so check every few days. Keep water out of the saucer so roots do not sit wet. In winter, while it is bare, water only when the mix dries.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Redvein Maple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Redvein 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 redvein 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 redvein 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 redvein maple need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established redvein 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 redvein maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates redvein 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 evaluated 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.
Why is it called redvein maple?
The name refers to the reddish down on the leaf veins. It is one of the snakebark maples. It comes from Japan.
How fast does redvein maple grow?
It is a fast grower that reaches 30 to 40 feet. It is relatively short-lived. Plan for that when siting it.
Can redvein maple grow in wet soil?
No, it grows in a wide range of soils but not damp or wet sites. Plant it where water drains. Avoid low spots.
Does redvein maple have fall color?
Yes, the leaves turn yellow and red in fall. Winged seeds follow the spring flowers. Plant it where fall color shows.
What pests bother redvein maple?
It has no serious problems. Watch for common maple pests and leaf diseases. Healthy watering keeps it vigorous.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer rufinerve, 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