WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Tipuana tipu, WUCOLS IV

How often to water tipu tree in California

In July on the north-central coast, established tipu tree 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. Tipu tree is a fast-growing, semi-deciduous tree from Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay with a broad, flat crown that is often wider than tall. Its leaves are divided into many rounded, lime-colored leaflets. Golden yellow flowers in late spring to early summer carpet the ground when they drop, followed by winged seeds that resemble maple seeds.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water tipu 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 tipu 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 a foot down under the canopy in summer means tipu tree can take a deep soak
  • Leaflets dropping out of season in a long dry spell can signal water stress
  • Fast, soft, floppy growth after heavy watering points to too much water
  • Leaf drop in late winter to spring is the normal brief deciduous period

How to water it

  • Give occasional deep watering rather than frequent light sprinkles
  • Avoid overwatering, which produces weaker wood
  • Plant in full sun in well-drained soil
  • Keep it away from paving, which its roots can lift
  • Expect flower, seed and leaf litter under the crown

Through the seasons

Through its first summers, a young tipu needs regular deep water. Once established, it is fairly drought tolerant and does best with occasional deep watering, since overwatering makes weaker wood. It is briefly leafless between late winter and late spring, then blooms in late spring or early summer. WUCOLS rates tipu tree low water on the south coast. On the north-central coast, in South Inland and in the low desert it carries a moderate water rating. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the Central Valley or the high desert.

In pots

Tipu tree is a big, fast tree that only suits a pot for its first year or two. Use a deep container with a well-drained mix, and set it in full sun. Water when the top few inches dry, and let it drain fully. In summer, check every few days, since a fast grower drinks a lot. Do not let water stand in the saucer. Plant it out while young, with room for a wide crown and away from paving.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Tipu Tree: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.310.78–0.78
Feb0.53–0.320.87–0.93
Mar0.87–0.461.3–1.52
Apr1.18–0.561.61–1.95
May1.46–0.641.95–2.45
Jun1.61–0.692.29–2.79
Jul1.61–0.792.51–2.85
Aug1.49–0.742.33–2.6
Sep1.24–0.61.86–2.08
Oct0.87–0.461.33–1.49
Nov0.47–0.330.9–0.96
Dec0.31–0.260.68–0.68
Year12–6.218.41–21.08

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 tipu tree. 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 tipu 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 tipu tree in summer?

In July, established tipu tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 27 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 tipu tree need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established tipu tree 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 tipu tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates tipu tree 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, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is tipu tree messy?

Yes, flower, fruit and leaf drop can be messy. Yellow flowers carpet the ground in late spring. Plan for litter near patios.

Will tipu tree roots lift paving?

Its roots can lift paving. Plant it well away from sidewalks and driveways. Deep, infrequent watering encourages deeper roots.

Why should I not overwater tipu tree?

Too much water produces weaker wood. Occasional deep soaks are best once it is established. It is fairly drought tolerant.

Is tipu tree evergreen?

It is semi-deciduous, dropping leaves briefly between late winter and late spring. Timing varies by location. The bare spell is short.

Can tipu tree take heat?

Yes, it is heat tolerant and grows in inland valleys and the low desert. It is cold hardy to about 22 degrees F. Water deeply in desert summers.

More plant watering guides

Painted DaisyBlack-Eyed Susan VineSky Flower VineWandering JewMoses-in-the-CradleWhite CloverCanadian HemlockCardboard Palm

Sources