How often to water Tatar maple in California
In July in the Central Valley, established Tatar 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. Tatar maple is a slow growing deciduous small tree or multi-trunked shrub from western Asia and southeastern Europe. It reaches 15 to 30 feet tall and about as wide. Clusters of white spring flowers give way to showy red winged seeds, and the leaves turn yellow and red in fall. It prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soil and cool summers, and it tolerates some drought once established.
How often to water Tatar maple, 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 inches down beneath the canopy edge signals that Tatar maple needs a deep soak
- Leaf edges browning in a hot inland summer can indicate heat and moisture stress on this cool-summer tree
- Wilting on one side of the crown with dying branches can point to Verticillium wilt rather than thirst
- Yellowing leaves over soil that stays soggy can indicate poor drainage around the roots
- Seedlings sprouting around the tree come from its abundant winged seed, not from extra water
How to water it
- Water a young Tatar maple over its root ball and a widening circle of soil around it
- Soak slowly so moisture reaches 12 to 18 inches down, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
- Plant in moist, fertile, well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade
- Mulch the root zone to keep the soil cool, which suits this cool-summer maple
- Move water outward as the crown spreads, and pull seedlings in the watered area
Through the seasons
Keep a new Tatar maple evenly moist through its first two summers while roots spread. Established trees tolerate some drought but grow best with deep soakings through the dry season. White flowers open in spring, red winged seeds follow, and leaves turn yellow and red before falling. WUCOLS rates Tatar maple moderate water on the north-central coast and in the Central Valley. It marks the south coast and the high desert as not suited to it. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland or the low desert. Winter rain usually covers the leafless tree in its rated zones.
In pots
Tatar maple grows slowly, so it can live in a large container for several years as a small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. Use a pot with drainage holes and a fertile, well-drained mix. In summer, check the mix 2 inches down every few days and water when it is dry at that depth. Let excess drain, then empty the saucer. Give the pot afternoon shade in hot weather. After leaf fall, keep the mix barely moist until spring.
- A year
- 17.11 gal per sq ft
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
Monthly water need by climate zone
Tatar Maple: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | 0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | 0.65 | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | 1.09 | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | 1.52 | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | 2.08 | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | 2.48 | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | 2.67 | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | 2.39 | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | 1.8 | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | 1.18 | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | 0.56 | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | 0.34 | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | 17.11 | – | – | – | – |
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 Tatar maple. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Japanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Avocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Magnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Palm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Apple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Peach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Persimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Amur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Fernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Box ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Norway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Chinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July
Red HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySimilar plants that need less water 16
Rated lower than Tatar 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 July
Fig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Crape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
AloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
EucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Pine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
JunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Texas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Portuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Soapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Necklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Bailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Silver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Green WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Sydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes Tatar 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 much water does Tatar maple need per day?
In July in the Central Valley, established Tatar 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 Tatar maple change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates Tatar 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, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region 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 Tatar maple invasive?
It produces abundant seed and can form dense stands that crowd out other plants, and it is considered invasive in some midwestern states. Plant it where seedlings can be mowed or pulled, away from natural areas. Its seeds travel on the wind.
What color does Tatar maple turn in fall?
Its leaves turn yellow and red in fall. The red winged seeds add color before then.
Does Tatar maple like hot summers?
It prefers areas with cool summers. In the Central Valley, give it deep, regular soakings and some afternoon shade while young.
Can you overwater a Tatar maple?
Yes. It needs well-drained soil, and soggy ground can harm the roots. Let the top few inches dry between soakings.
How big does Tatar maple get?
It grows slowly to 15 to 30 feet tall with a similar spread, as a small tree or a multi-trunked shrub. That size suits smaller yards.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Acer tataricum, 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