How often to water American yellowwood in California
In July on the north-central coast, established American yellowwood 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. American yellowwood is a native shade tree of the eastern United States with an open, graceful, spreading crown and smooth gray bark. In spring, long hanging clusters of flowers attract bees, then turn into hanging yellow-brown pods, and the leaves turn yellow-orange in fall. Its deep roots let shade-loving plants grow underneath.
How often to water American yellowwood, month by month
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.
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.
How to tell it needs water
- Soil dry 4 inches down under the canopy in summer means yellowwood wants a deep watering
- Leaves browning at the edges in a hot, dry spell can follow dry soil
- Leaves wilting and dropping early in late summer can indicate drought stress
- Branches breaking in wind is a structural weakness, not a water issue
How to water it
- Water slowly at the drip line, soaking the deep root zone
- Let the upper few inches dry between waterings
- Plant in average, moist garden soil
- Shelter it from strong winds that can break limbs
- Prune only in summer to avoid sap bleeding, and correct weak forks
Through the seasons
Water a young tree regularly through its first few summers while its deep roots form. Established trees want moderate, deep soaks through the dry months. Flowers open in spring, pods hang into fall, and leaves turn yellow-orange before dropping. Late frosts can damage the blooms. On the north-central coast, WUCOLS rates American yellowwood moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the south coast, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.
In pots
Yellowwood is a shade tree that only fits a pot while young. Use a deep container with a well-drained mix. Water when the top couple of inches dry, and soak until water drains out. In summer, check every few days. Keep the saucer empty. Plant it out early, since its deep roots make later transplanting difficult. In winter, water only when the mix dries.
- A year
- no figure
- Reference
- Sacramento climate table
- Counts
- Plant need, before sprinkler losses
WUCOLS lists American Yellowwood as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.
Monthly water need by climate zone
American Yellowwood: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone
| Month | N. Coast | C. Valley | S. Coast | S. Inland | Hi Desert | Lo Desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.37 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Feb | 0.53 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mar | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Apr | 1.18 | – | – | – | – | – |
| May | 1.46 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jun | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jul | 1.61 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aug | 1.49 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sep | 1.24 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Oct | 0.87 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Nov | 0.47 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Dec | 0.31 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Year | 12 | – | – | – | – | – |
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 evaluated in the Central Valley, like American yellowwood. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.
Hawthorn MapleAcer crataegifoliumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Mountain MapleAcer glabrumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Miyabe MapleAcer miyabeinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Everglades PalmAcoelorraphe wrightiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pink CedarAcrocarpus fraxinifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
YellowwoodAfrocarpus falcatus (Podocarpus falcatus)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
New Caledonian PineAraucaria columnaris (A. cookii)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
NeemAzadirachta indicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Bismarck PalmBismarckia nobilisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
American HornbeamCarpinus caroliniananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Japanese HornbeamCarpinus japonicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Pagoda DogwoodCornus alternifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Giant DogwoodCornus controversanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Butterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Abyssinian Coral TreeErythrina abyssinicanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTurn this into minutes on your water days
Every city page has a calculator that takes American yellowwood, 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 American yellowwood need per day?
In July on the north-central coast, established American yellowwood 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 American yellowwood change across California?
Yes. WUCOLS rates American yellowwood separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated 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 yellowwood hard to transplant?
Yes, its deep root system makes transplanting difficult. Plant it young where it will stay. Water it well the first summers.
When should I prune yellowwood?
Prune only in summer to prevent bleeding. Corrective pruning removes weak branch forks. Do it while the tree is young.
Why did my yellowwood lose a branch?
Its limbs break easily in wind and snow. Shelter it from strong winds. Corrective pruning helps.
Does yellowwood attract pollinators?
Yes, its flowers provide high-quality pollen and nectar for bees. Songbirds nest in it too. It suits wildlife gardens.
What diseases affect yellowwood?
Verticillium wilt may occur. Late frosts can damage blooms. Steady water reduces stress.
More plant watering guides
Sources
- WUCOLS IV plant water use classification for Cladrastis kentukea, the University of California survey California agencies use for landscape plan reviewRead August 23, 2026 on wucols.ucdavis.edu
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, adopted text and appendices, effective 2025-01-02 · monthly reference evapotranspiration per city, Appendix CRead August 23, 2026 on water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/Programs/Water-Use-And-Efficiency/MWELO-Rulemaking/Final-MWELO-Text-and-Appendices_20250103.pdf
- UC Statewide IPM Program, irrigation scheduling using evapotranspirationRead September 30, 2026 on ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/ENVIRON/evap.html
- Shaw and Pittenger, Landscape Irrigation System Evaluation and Management, UC Cooperative Extension, 2009Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2013-02/160836.pdf
- Pittenger, Water Management in Gardens and Landscapes, UC Riverside, 2017Read September 30, 2026 on ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-03/258022.pdf