WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acer saccharinum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water silver maple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established silver maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Silver maple is a quick-growing deciduous shade tree native to the floodplains and stream banks of eastern North America. It reaches 40 to 60 feet or more, and its deeply lobed leaves flash silvery undersides in the wind. It likes moist soil and tolerates wet ground, but its shallow, aggressive roots and brittle branches make it a tree to site with care.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water silver maple, 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 silver maple 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

  • When the soil under the outer canopy has dried a few inches down, a young silver maple is ready for a slow, deep watering
  • Leaves wilting by afternoon in a hot spell, then recovering overnight, show the shallow roots are running dry
  • Leaves yellowing between green veins point to chlorosis from alkaline soil, which more water will not fix
  • Water still standing around the trunk days after irrigation means more than the soil can take, even for this wet-tolerant tree
  • Sticky drips on cars and paving below point to aphids or scale rather than a watering problem

How to water it

  • Water broadly under and beyond the canopy, since the roots spread shallow and wide
  • Give each irrigation enough time to moisten the ground 12 to 18 inches down, then let the surface dry
  • Plant it well away from sidewalks, driveways, septic systems and drain lines
  • Choose moist, well-drained soil that is not strongly alkaline
  • Push the watered zone outward as the crown widens, and mulch it rather than running lawn to the trunk

Through the seasons

A young silver maple needs deep, regular water through its first few summers while roots spread. Small flowers open in late winter or early spring, and winged seeds follow. Leaves turn yellow in fall, then drop. Valley heat is hard on it, and it struggles in the hottest inland sites. WUCOLS rates silver maple moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley, and high water in South Inland. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the south coast, the high desert or the low desert. Winter rain usually covers the bare tree on the coast and in the Central Valley.

In pots

Silver maple grows too quickly and too large to stay in a container, so keep a young tree potted only until you can plant it. Use a deep nursery pot with holes in the bottom and a well-drained mix. In warm weather, feel the mix a couple of inches down every day or two, since this tree likes steady moisture. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. Plant it out before roots wrap the inside of the pot.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
1.02.03.04.00.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC1.02.03.04.00.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Silver Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4–1.24––
Feb0.530.65–1.39––
Mar0.871.09–2.08––
Apr1.181.52–2.58––
May1.462.08–3.12––
Jun1.612.48–3.67––
Jul1.612.67–4.02––
Aug1.492.39–3.72––
Sep1.241.8–2.98––
Oct0.871.18–2.13––
Nov0.470.56–1.44––
Dec0.310.34–1.09––
Year1217.11–29.46––

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like silver maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than silver maple in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes silver 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 often should I water silver maple in summer?

In July, established silver maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 5 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 silver maple need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established silver maple needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 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 maple change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates silver maple separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, not suited to this region in the South Coastal zone, high water 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.

Will silver maple roots damage my sidewalk?

Often, yes. Its shallow roots lift driveways and sidewalks and can invade septic systems and drain lines. Plant it far from paving and pipes, or choose a different tree for a small yard.

Why do silver maple branches break?

Its wood is weak and brittle, so limbs snap in storms and under heavy loads. Plant it where falling limbs cannot hit roofs, play areas or parked cars.

Why is my silver maple turning yellow in summer?

Pale leaves with green veins usually mean chlorosis, which silver maple develops in alkaline soil. Extra irrigation does not correct it. A soil test and advice from a local nursery or extension office can point to a treatment.

Is silver maple a good tree for the Central Valley?

It is a risky choice there. It does not tolerate valley heat well, and its aggressive roots and brittle branches add problems. Freeman maple, a hybrid of silver and red maple, grows fast with stronger wood, less invasive roots and red fall color.

Can silver maple grow in wet soil?

Yes. It grows wild on floodplains and along rivers, and it handles poor, wet soils and occasional flooding. That makes it one of the few shade trees for a low, soggy spot or a rain garden.

More plant watering guides

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Sources