How often to water silver linden in California
In July on the north-central coast, established silver linden in loam needs a deep soak only about once a month or less: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy. Silver linden is a large, dense shade tree whose glossy dark green leaves are silvery white underneath. Clusters of fragrant, creamy flowers hang below the leaves in early summer and draw bees. It prefers moist, well drained loam, but once established it tolerates some drought, heat and salt.
How often to water silver linden, 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 to 6 inches down at the edge of a young linden's root ball means it needs a deep soak
- Leaves browning at the edges and curling to show their silver undersides in summer heat can point to a dry root zone
- Leaves yellowing over soil that stays soggy for days point to poor drainage, which this tree dislikes
- Sticky leaves and a black sooty film on anything below come from aphid honeydew, not from watering
- A section of the crown wilting while the soil is still moist can mean verticillium wilt rather than thirst
How to water it
- Water a young linden regularly after planting, soaking the root ball and the soil around it
- Let water sink about 18 inches, then wait until the top several inches dry before the next soak
- As the tree matures, move drip or soaker lines out under the canopy edge
- Plant in deep, loamy soil that drains well, with plenty of room for the broad crown
- Lay wood chip mulch over the root zone, and clip off sprouts that rise at the trunk base
Through the seasons
Water a new silver linden regularly through its first two or three summers, widening the soaked area as roots spread. Established trees on the north-central coast handle dry summers well, helped by fog and winter rain. Leaves unfold in spring, fragrant flowers hang in June and July, and small nutlets ripen in late summer before leaf fall. WUCOLS rates silver linden low water on the north-central coast. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to South Inland. It has not been evaluated for the Central Valley, the south coast, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Silver linden grows fast into a big tree, so a container only holds a young one until planting. In summer, push a trowel into the mix every few days and water once it is dry 2 to 3 inches down. Keep pouring until water seeps from the bottom, and dump whatever collects in the saucer. A pot on hot paving dries quickly, so set it in light shade. When the leaves drop in fall, water the bare tree sparingly and let the mix dry a little between soakings.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists Silver Linden as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
Silver Linden: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.15 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.21 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.35 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 0.58 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 0.64 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 0.64 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 0.5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.35 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.19 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.12 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 4.8 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 silver linden. 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 silver linden, 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 silver linden need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established silver linden 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 silver linden change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates silver linden separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, not evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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 is there black film under my linden tree?
Aphids on the leaves drip sticky honeydew, and dark sooty mold grows on it. The cultivar 'Brabant' resists these aphids. Changing the watering will not stop it.
Do bees like silver linden?
Yes. Its nectar-rich summer flowers draw bees and butterflies. Plant it away from patios and doors if busy bees are a concern.
Which silver linden handles heat best?
'Green Mountain' and 'Sterling' were selected for better heat and drought tolerance. Even these need regular deep soakings while young.
Does silver linden need pruning?
Yes, while it is young. Prune to build a strong framework of well spaced limbs, and remove sprouts at the base as they appear.
How big does a silver linden get?
It grows quickly to 50 to 70 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. Give it a large lawn, parkway or open yard, and plan irrigation that can reach the outer canopy as it grows.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Tilia tomentosa, 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