WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Viburnum lantana, WUCOLS IV

How often to water wayfaring tree in California

In July in the Central Valley, established wayfaring tree in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Wayfaring tree is not a tree at all but a big, deciduous European viburnum that suckers into a dense thicket or hedge. Flat clusters of creamy white flowers open in late spring, and the berries turn from red to black by late summer. It copes with drier spells once rooted, yet it still counts as a moderate water shrub.

ShrubRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water wayfaring tree, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 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 wayfaring 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 the plant covers, 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 plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 3 to 4 inches down among the stems of an established clump means it is time to water
  • Leathery leaves still hanging limp the morning after a hot day point to dry roots
  • Leaf edges browning in midsummer, well before the purplish red fall color, can signal a dry root zone
  • Yellowing, wilting leaves over soggy soil warrant a check for Phytophthora root rot, which can affect this viburnum
  • Gray fuzzy mold on flowers in damp weather is a sign to keep sprinkler spray off the shrub

How to water it

  • Water around the base of the clump and out to the edge of the foliage with drip or a soaker hose
  • Wet the soil about 18 inches deep, then let the top few inches dry before the next soak
  • Keep sprinkler spray off the leaves and flower clusters to hold down gray mold and leaf spot
  • Grow it in moist, well drained soil, and raise the bed where heavy clay stays wet after rain
  • Spread shredded bark mulch over the root area and widen the watered zone as suckers extend the clump

Through the seasons

Keep a new wayfaring tree moist through its first summer while roots grow out from the nursery ball. Established clumps handle short dry spells but still need deep soakings in hot valley summers. It flowers in late spring, and the berries color red by midsummer before ripening black. The leaves turn purplish red before they drop. Winter rain usually carries the bare shrub through the cool months. WUCOLS rates wayfaring tree moderate water in the Central Valley and on the north-central coast. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for South Inland, the south coast, the low desert or the high desert.

In pots

Wayfaring tree grows large and suckers freely, so a container only suits a young plant. Check the mix 2 inches down often in summer heat, especially in the Central Valley. Water until it drains from the holes, then pour off the saucer. A pot keeps the suckers in check. This vigorous shrub fills it with roots fast, though, and a root-bound plant dries out within a day. Through winter the bare shrub needs little water, so let the mix dry slightly between soakings and check after rain.

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

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

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.4––––
Feb0.530.65––––
Mar0.871.09––––
Apr1.181.52––––
May1.462.08––––
Jun1.612.48––––
Jul1.612.67––––
Aug1.492.39––––
Sep1.241.8––––
Oct0.871.18––––
Nov0.470.56––––
Dec0.310.34––––
Year1217.11––––

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 wayfaring tree. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate 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 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 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 JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWestern ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

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

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea 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 JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow 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 wayfaring 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 much water does wayfaring tree need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established wayfaring tree needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for wayfaring tree change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates wayfaring tree 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 evaluated in the South Coastal zone, not evaluated in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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 wayfaring tree a tree or a shrub?

It is a large, multi-stemmed shrub that can reach 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. Water it like a broad hedge shrub, covering the whole clump rather than one central trunk.

Why is my wayfaring tree not making berries?

A lone shrub often sets few berries, so plant a second one close by. The fruit turns red by midsummer and black by late summer on a well pollinated pair.

Are wayfaring tree berries edible?

No. The berries are ornamental and should not be eaten by people or pets. Wear gloves when you handle the fruit.

How do I control wayfaring tree suckers?

Suckers rise from the base and let the clump spread aggressively. Cut or dig them out at the edge of the clump each year. Remove the oldest stems at ground level to keep growth fresh.

Can I grow wayfaring tree as a hedge?

Yes. Its dense, suckering growth makes a thick hedge or screen in sun or part shade. Run drip line along both sides of the row so every plant gets an even soak.

More plant watering guides

Burning BushWinter CreeperWood SpurgeForsythiaWhite AshEuropean AshOregon AshFlowering Ash

Sources