WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Acer circinatum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water vine maple in California

In July in the Central Valley, established vine maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 76 gallons a week. Vine maple is a native deciduous shrub or small tree of moist woods and streambanks in western North America, closely related to Japanese maples. It grows 10 to 25 feet tall with several twisting trunks, upright in sun and gracefully horizontal in shade. Leaves turn yellow, orange and red in fall. It needs consistent moisture and will not tolerate hot, dry conditions.

ShrubTreeCalifornia nativeRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water vine 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 vine 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

  • A vine maple with mulched soil gone dry an inch or two down in summer is asking for water
  • Leaf edges crisping and curling on hot afternoons point to thirst or harsh sun
  • Leaves taking on autumn color in midsummer suggest the roots have run dry
  • Yellow, limp foliage over soil that stays waterlogged points to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Lay drip or soaker lines under the spreading branches, out to their tips
  • Wet the soil roughly a foot deep and add more once the top two inches dry out
  • Choose partial shade and humus-rich, moist soil that still drains
  • Spread leaf litter or compost as mulch to keep its shallow roots cool
  • Leave its twisting trunks unpruned except for dead or crossing branches

Through the seasons

Keep a new vine maple evenly moist through its first summers. Mature plants also want steady moisture, since heat and drought stress them quickly. It is deciduous, with bright green spring leaves and strong fall color, then bare, twisting branches in winter. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS lists vine maple as moderate water. Inland in the Central Valley and down on the south coast its rating rises to high water. South Inland and both deserts are poor fits, and WUCOLS marks them as not suited.

In pots

Vine maple can grow for years in a large container in partial shade, much like a Japanese maple. Use rich, moisture-holding mix that still drains well. Water when the top inch dries, and in summer heat that can mean daily checks. Let it drain and empty the saucer. Shade the pot from afternoon sun. After leaf drop, water lightly through winter, and repot every few years in early spring.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
4.27gal per sq ft in JulyHigh water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
27.38 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
1.12.13.24.30.64JAN1.04FEB1.74MAR2.43APR3.32MAY3.97JUN4.27JUL3.82AUG2.88SEP1.88OCT0.89NOV0.55DEC1.12.13.24.30.64JFM2.43AMJ4.27JAS1.88OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 4.27 in Jul, 27.38 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.641.24–––
Feb0.531.041.29–––
Mar0.871.741.84–––
Apr1.182.432.23–––
May1.463.322.58–––
Jun1.613.972.78–––
Jul1.614.273.17–––
Aug1.493.822.98–––
Sep1.242.882.38–––
Oct0.871.881.84–––
Nov0.470.891.34–––
Dec0.310.551.04–––
Year1227.3824.8–––

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

HydrangeaHydrangea macrophylla & cvs.high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlueberriesVaccinium hybrids and cvs (CA native and non- native spp.)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBig Leaf MapleAcer macrophyllumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWhite AlderAlnus rhombifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed AlderAlnus rubra (Alnus oregona)high water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyShell GingerAlpinia zerumbethigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBog RosemaryAndromeda polifoliahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRiver BirchBetula nigrahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWater BirchBetula occidentalishigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyEuropean White BirchBetula pendulahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyWhite-Barked Himalayan BirchBetula utilis var. jacquemontiihigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyBlood Twig DogwoodCornus sanguineahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyRed-veined EnkianthusEnkianthus campanulatushigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyAbyssinian BananaEnsete ventricosumhigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyEuropean BeechFagus sylvaticahigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in JulyClimbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala petiolarishigh water, Central Valley4.27 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCitrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.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 JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate 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 JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.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 July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes vine 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 vine maple in summer?

In July, established vine maple in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days in the Central Valley and about every 7 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 vine maple need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established vine maple needs about 11 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 43 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 vine maple change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates vine maple separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, high water in the Central Valley zone, high 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.

Is vine maple native to California?

Yes, it is native to moist woodlands and streambanks of western North America, including northern California. It is closely related to Japanese maples. It suits shady native gardens.

Can vine maple grow in full sun?

It grows more upright in sun, but it does best in partial shade. It will not tolerate hot, dry conditions. Inland, give it afternoon shade and steady water.

Should I prune vine maple?

Heavy pruning is not recommended, since it ruins the plant's form. Remove only dead or crossing branches. Its twisting trunks are part of its charm.

What color is vine maple in fall?

In fall the leaves light up in yellow, orange and red tones. Spring leaves open a bright emerald green. Leaves drop for winter.

Can vine maple be a patio tree?

Yes, its small size and graceful form make it a good patio tree or lawn specimen. Keep its soil evenly moist. Mulch rather than run turf to the trunk.

More plant watering guides

Umbrella Sedge and PapyrusUmbrella PlantFoxgloveRed-veined EnkianthusAbyssinian BananaEuropean BeechLeopard PlantTransvaal Daisy

Sources