WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Senna spectabilis (Cassia excelsa, Cassia spectabilis), WUCOLS IV

How often to water crown of gold tree in California

In July on the south coast, established crown of gold tree 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. Crown of gold tree, a senna once sold as cassia, is a fast-growing, fine-textured tree from tropical America. It reaches 20 to 30 feet in gardens with a dense, rounded crown. Its bright green leaves are long and feathery. In late summer and early fall, upright spikes of bright yellow flowers a foot or more long rise above the leaves, followed by narrow dark pods.

TreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water crown of gold tree, 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 crown of gold tree 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 4 inches down under the crown in summer means crown of gold tree wants a deep soak
  • Leaves drooping and fewer flower spikes in late summer point to a dry root zone
  • Leaves dropping in late winter after a cold snap is normal semi-deciduous behavior
  • Yellowing leaves in soggy soil point to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water regularly to occasionally through the warm months
  • Let the top few inches dry between deep soaks
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil
  • Choose a warm, frost-sheltered site
  • Give it room for a broad, rounded crown

Through the seasons

Water a young tree regularly through its first summers. Established trees want regular to occasional deep watering in the warm months, when they grow and bloom. It loves heat and stays evergreen in warm years, but after cold near 26 degrees F it can drop leaves until spring. WUCOLS rates crown of gold tree moderate water on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Crown of gold tree can grow in a large container while young, giving a tropical look to a sunny patio. Use a well-drained mix in a heavy pot that will not tip in wind. When the top couple of inches dry, water until it drains out. In summer, check every couple of days. Keep water out of the saucer. Shelter it on frosty nights. In winter, water only when the mix dries.

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

WUCOLS lists Crown of Gold Tree as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Crown of Gold Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.780.78––
Feb––0.810.87––
Mar––1.151.3––
Apr––1.41.61––
May––1.611.95––
Jun––1.742.29––
Jul––1.982.51––
Aug––1.862.33––
Sep––1.491.86––
Oct––1.151.33––
Nov––0.840.9––
Dec––0.650.68––
Year––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 evaluated in the Central Valley, like crown of gold tree. 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 crown of gold tree, 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 crown of gold tree in summer?

In July, established crown of gold tree 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 crown of gold tree need per day?

In July on the south coast, established crown of gold tree 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 crown of gold tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates crown of gold tree separately for each of the six California climate zones: not evaluated in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated 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.

When does crown of gold tree bloom?

Bright yellow flower spikes rise above the leaves in late summer and early fall. Narrow dark pods follow. Steady summer water supports bloom.

Is crown of gold tree evergreen?

It stays evergreen in warm years. A hard frost can leave it bare from late winter into early spring. New leaves return with warmth.

How big does crown of gold tree get?

It grows fast to 20 to 30 feet tall and wide in gardens. In the tropics it gets much larger. Give it room.

Is this the same as cassia?

It was long sold as Cassia spectabilis or Cassia excelsa. Its current name is Senna spectabilis. Care is the same.

Does crown of gold tree need full sun?

Yes, plant it in full sun. It loves heat. Well-drained soil is important.

More plant watering guides

Monterrey OakHeritage OakPrairie Flameleaf SumacSpreading GooseberryWingthorn RoseSilky-Leaved BrambleSoapberryMexican Savory

Sources