WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ficus rubiginosa (Ficus microphylla), WUCOLS IV

How often to water rusty leaf fig in California

In July on the north-central coast, established rusty leaf fig 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. Rusty leaf fig is a large, spreading evergreen tree from Australia, usually 25 to 40 feet tall with an even wider canopy. Its leathery, dark green, oval leaves are rusty-hairy when young. Small greenish fruits ripen to greenish brown. It grows in sun or part shade in most soils, and handling it can cause skin allergies.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water rusty leaf fig, 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 rusty leaf fig 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

  • Rusty leaf fig leaves drooping on a young tree while the soil is dry deep down mean it needs a soak
  • Leaves dropping after a sudden cold swing point to stress, not thirst
  • Yellowing leaves on soil that stays wet point to overwatering
  • Sticky leaves or fine webbing point to scale, mealybugs or spider mites

How to water it

  • Water a young tree deeply across the root zone, then let the top few inches dry
  • Plant in full sun or part shade in almost any well-drained soil
  • Give it room, since the canopy spreads wider than 25 feet
  • Wear gloves when pruning, since it can cause skin allergies
  • Widen the watered area as the canopy grows

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summers. Established trees want moderate water through the dry season. It is evergreen, and the rusty fuzz shows on new leaves as they emerge. Winter rain usually covers its needs on the coast. WUCOLS rates rusty leaf fig moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Rusty leaf fig is often grown in a pot when young, indoors or on a sheltered patio. Use a loam-based mix with some fine bark. Water moderately while it grows, when the top inch or two dries. In summer, check every couple of days. Empty the saucer. In winter, keep the mix just moist and keep the plant away from drafts and sudden temperature changes.

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

WUCOLS lists Rusty Leaf Fig as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Rusty Leaf Fig: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78––
Feb0.53–0.810.87––
Mar0.87–1.151.3––
Apr1.18–1.41.61––
May1.46–1.611.95––
Jun1.61–1.742.29––
Jul1.61–1.982.51––
Aug1.49–1.862.33––
Sep1.24–1.491.86––
Oct0.87–1.151.33––
Nov0.47–0.840.9––
Dec0.31–0.650.68––
Year12–15.518.41––

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 rusty leaf fig. 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 rusty leaf fig, 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 rusty leaf fig in summer?

In July, established rusty leaf fig 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 rusty leaf fig need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established rusty leaf fig 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 rusty leaf fig change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates rusty leaf fig separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate 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 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.

Why are the new leaves rusty?

Young leaves are covered in rusty hairs. They turn dark green and leathery with age. That is where the name comes from.

What other names does rusty leaf fig have?

It is also called rusty fig, little-leaf fig, Botany Bay fig and New South Wales banyan. Its botanical name is Ficus rubiginosa. It is sometimes sold as Ficus microphylla.

Can rusty leaf fig irritate skin?

Yes, it can cause skin allergies. Wear gloves and long sleeves when pruning. Wash your skin afterward.

Can I grow rusty leaf fig indoors?

Yes, it is often grown under glass or indoors when young. Give it full or filtered light and an even temperature. Mist it in dry indoor air.

How big does rusty leaf fig get?

It grows into a large, spreading tree, often 25 to 40 feet tall and wider. Plant it well away from buildings. It is too big for small yards.

More plant watering guides

Fiddleleaf FigMoreton Bay FigIndian Laurel FigBo-TreeFranklin TreeGolden Trumpet TreeKahili GingerKentia Palm

Sources