WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acer buergerianum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water trident maple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established trident 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. Trident maple is a small to medium deciduous tree with three-lobed leaves shaped like a trident and fall color in reds and oranges. Its bark flakes away to show orange-brown patches beneath. It is tough for a maple, tolerating wind, salt, air pollution and compacted soil, which makes it a common street tree.

TreeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water trident 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 trident 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

  • Soil dry 4 to 6 inches down at the canopy edge means trident maple needs a deep soak
  • Leaf edges browning in midsummer can point to a dry root zone during heat
  • Wilting that moves branch by branch can point to verticillium wilt, which water does not cure
  • Leaves yellowing while the soil stays soggy suggest poor drainage around the roots
  • Orange-brown patches on the trunk where bark flakes off are a normal feature, not stress

How to water it

  • Water trident maple across the root zone under the canopy with drip or a soaker hose
  • Soak the soil 18 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next watering
  • Plant in full sun in average, well-drained soil, ideally on the acidic side
  • Mulch the root zone with wood chips, keeping them back from the trunk
  • Move emitters outward as the rounded canopy widens toward 20 to 30 feet

Through the seasons

Water a new trident maple deeply through its first summers while roots spread. Established trees handle urban conditions well but still need deep soakings through long, dry summers. Small greenish yellow flowers appear in spring, paired winged seeds ripen in fall, and the leaves turn red or orange before dropping. Rain usually covers the leafless months on the coast and in the Central Valley. WUCOLS lists trident maple as moderate water in the Central Valley, on the south coast and on the north-central coast. South Inland, the high desert and the low desert are marked not suited.

In pots

Trident maple is frequently trained as bonsai, and a young tree can grow in a large container before planting out. Use a pot with drainage holes and a well-drained mix. In summer heat, check the top 2 inches every few days and water when dry, since a small pot can dry out in a day. Let the water drain out, then empty the saucer. In winter the bare tree needs only enough water to keep the mix from drying out completely.

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
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.78–––
Feb0.530.650.81–––
Mar0.871.091.15–––
Apr1.181.521.4–––
May1.462.081.61–––
Jun1.612.481.74–––
Jul1.612.671.98–––
Aug1.492.391.86–––
Sep1.241.81.49–––
Oct0.871.181.15–––
Nov0.470.560.84–––
Dec0.310.340.65–––
Year1217.1115.5–––

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 trident 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 trident 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 trident 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 trident maple in summer?

In July, established trident maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley and about every 11 days on the south coast. 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 trident maple need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established trident 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 trident maple change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates trident 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, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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.

Why is the bark on my trident maple peeling?

Flaking bark is a normal trait of this maple. It reveals orange-brown inner bark and adds winter interest. It is not a sign of drought or disease.

Is trident maple a good street tree?

Yes. It tolerates wind, salt, air pollution and compacted soil, and it stays 25 to 35 feet tall. Street trees still need deep watering while young.

Can trident maple be grown as bonsai?

Yes, it is frequently used for bonsai. A bonsai dries out fast in its shallow pot, so check it often in warm weather.

What is verticillium wilt?

It is a soil-borne disease that affects maples and can make branches wilt and die. Keep the tree growing steadily with deep watering and avoid wounding its roots.

Can you overwater trident maple?

Yes. It prefers well-drained soil, and roots in soggy ground can suffer. Let the upper soil dry between soakings.

More plant watering guides

Hyacinth BeanSpotted DeadnettleGayfeatherChinese Sweet GumSweet GumTulip TreeSweet Breath of SpringPrivet Honeysuckle

Sources