How often to water rose apple in California
In July on the south coast, established rose apple 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. Rose apple is a dense, evergreen tropical tree that grows to about 20 feet in mild gardens. Its low branches spread as wide as it is tall. New leaves emerge glossy pink, and in midsummer large, fragrant, creamy white flowers made of long stamens open. Crisp, rose-scented fruit follows, and the tree does best with summer irrigation and a dry winter.
How often to water rose apple, 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 3 to 4 inches down beneath the canopy in summer signals that rose apple needs a deep soak
- Leaves dulling and drooping in summer heat can indicate thirst, since the tree does best with regular summer water
- Yellowing leaves over soil kept wet through winter can indicate overwatering in the cool season
- Pink new leaves are the normal color of fresh growth, not a sign of stress
- Few flowers or fruit after a frosty winter reflect cold, not a watering fault
How to water it
- Water rose apple across the root zone under its wide, low canopy rather than at the trunk
- Irrigate regularly from spring through summer, soaking the soil about a foot deep each time
- Taper off in fall and let winter rain do the work, skipping irrigation in the cool months
- Plant in full sun in soil that drains well, with room for branches as wide as the tree is tall
- Mulch the root area to hold summer moisture, keeping it clear of the trunk
Through the seasons
Water a new rose apple deeply through its first summer while roots spread. Established trees can tolerate an extended dry period, but they do best with regular irrigation from spring through the summer heat. Flowers open in midsummer, and fruit ripens three to four months later. Hold back water in winter and let rain on the south coast cover the cool months. The tree is hardy to about 25 degrees F but usually skips flowering where frost is common. WUCOLS rates rose apple moderate water on the south coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast. It has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Rose apple can grow in a large container for several years, which also makes it easier to shelter from frost. Use a big pot with drainage holes and a well-drained mix. From spring through summer, check the mix 2 inches down every few days and water when it is dry there. Water until excess drains, then empty the saucer. Keep the pot in full sun. In winter, water only lightly and move it under cover when frost threatens, since cold can stop flowering.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Rose Apple as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Rose Apple: 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 rose apple. 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 rose apple, 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 rose apple need per day?
In July on the south coast, established rose apple 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 rose apple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates rose apple separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region 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 rose apple fruit edible?
Yes. The greenish yellow fruit is crisp, rose-scented and about 1 to 2 inches wide. It bruises easily and spoils fast, so it is best used in jellies, jams or mixed preserves.
Why is my rose apple not flowering?
Frost is a common cause, since the tree usually will not flower or fruit where frost is frequent. Give it full sun and regular water from spring through summer. A sheltered, frost-free spot helps most.
Should I water rose apple in winter?
Very little. It is best irrigated through the summer heat and not in winter. Let winter rain carry it, and resume watering in spring.
Are any parts of rose apple poisonous?
The seeds and roots are considered poisonous. Eat only the fruit flesh, and keep seeds away from children and pets.
How big does rose apple get?
In mild California gardens it typically reaches 12 to 20 feet, with low, spreading branches as wide as or wider than its height. The dense canopy hides the trunk. Plant it where that broad crown has room to spread.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Syzygium jambos, 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