WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ficus benjamina, WUCOLS IV

How often to water weeping Chinese banyan in California

In July on the south coast, established weeping Chinese banyan in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 35 gallons a week. Weeping Chinese banyan, better known as weeping fig, is a broadleaf evergreen with glossy, pointed leaves on drooping branches. Outdoors in frost-free gardens it grows into a large tree or a sheared hedge, and indoors it is a common container plant. It drops leaves readily when its light, water or temperature changes.

ShrubTreeRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water weeping Chinese banyan, 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 weeping Chinese banyan 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 3 inches down near the edge of the canopy signals that an in-ground weeping fig needs a deep soak
  • Leaves yellowing over soil that stays soggy can indicate overwatering or poor drainage
  • Sudden leaf drop right after a move to a new spot is a response to changed light, not proof of thirst
  • Leaves turning yellow, then brown, with sticky honeydew and black sooty mold point to ficus whitefly
  • Leaves falling after a cold night reflect chilling damage, so check the soil before adding water

How to water it

  • Water an in-ground weeping fig across the root area under its canopy, not just at the trunk
  • Soak the soil about a foot deep, then let the upper inches dry before watering again
  • Use drip or a slow hose so water sinks in without running across nearby paving
  • Mulch the root area to hold moisture evenly, leaving a gap around the trunk
  • Move emitters outward as the tree or hedge widens

Through the seasons

Keep a new weeping fig evenly moist through its first summer while roots spread into the bed. Established trees and hedges take deeper soakings, with the surface allowed to dry between them. This evergreen keeps its leaves all year but is very frost sensitive, so a cold night can bring leaf drop and dieback. On the south coast, winter rain often covers the cool months. In the low desert, summer heat raises demand, and dry winters still call for soil checks. WUCOLS rates weeping Chinese banyan moderate water on the south coast and in the low desert. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the north-central coast, the Central Valley, South Inland and the high desert.

In pots

Weeping Chinese banyan is a common container plant, indoors or on a bright, sheltered patio. Check the mix an inch or two down every few days in summer, and water before it dries out completely. Water until excess runs from the drainage holes, then empty the saucer. Choose its spot carefully and leave it there, since a move into different light often triggers leaf drop. In winter, keep the pot away from cold drafts and frost, and water less as growth slows.

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

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

Monthly water need by climate zone

Weeping Chinese Banyan: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan––0.78––0.78
Feb––0.81––0.93
Mar––1.15––1.52
Apr––1.4––1.95
May––1.61––2.45
Jun––1.74––2.79
Jul––1.98––2.85
Aug––1.86––2.6
Sep––1.49––2.08
Oct––1.15––1.49
Nov––0.84––0.96
Dec––0.65––0.68
Year––15.5––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 weeping Chinese banyan. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Chenille PlantAcalypha hispidanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCopperleafAcalypha wilkesiananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSugar MapleAcer saccharumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueensland KauriAgathis robustanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCherimoyaAnnona cherimolanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple Orchid TreeBauhinia variegata (purpurea)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingToogBischofia javanicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMagic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWhite SapoteCasimiroa edulisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHawaiian TiCordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis)not 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 rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes weeping Chinese banyan, 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 weeping Chinese banyan need per day?

In July on the south coast, established weeping Chinese banyan needs about 5.0 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 20 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 weeping Chinese banyan change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates weeping Chinese banyan separately for each of the six California climate zones: not suited to this region in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region 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, 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.

Why does my weeping fig drop leaves after I move it?

It is very sensitive to light, so a move often triggers leaf drop. New leaves suited to the new light usually follow. Keep watering steady during that period rather than adding extra.

What is ficus whitefly?

It is a small sap feeding insect that reached Southern California in 2012 and attacks weeping fig and other ficus. Heavy infestations turn leaves yellow, then brown, and drop them early, leaving sticky honeydew and sooty mold. Extra water does not fix this damage.

Can I grow weeping fig as a hedge?

Yes. It tolerates shearing and is often kept as a hedge or rounded shrub. Heavy pruning shortens its life, so trim lightly where you can. Water a hedge along its whole root strip, not only at each trunk.

Can weeping Chinese banyan take frost?

No. It is very frost sensitive and does poorly in cold drafts. In the ground it belongs in a frost-free spot, and a potted plant should come indoors before cold nights.

Can you overwater a weeping fig?

Yes. Water just often enough to keep the soil from drying out completely, and empty saucers after watering. Leaves yellowing over soggy soil call for a drainage check before the next soak.

Is weeping fig safe around pets?

It is listed as a problem for cats, dogs and horses. Place it where pets cannot chew the leaves. Clear fallen leaves and prunings promptly.

More plant watering guides

Rainbow EucalyptusPoinsettiaRoxburgh FigIndian BanyanRubber PlantFiddleleaf FigMoreton Bay FigIndian Laurel Fig

Sources