Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Weeping Nootka Cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Weeping Alaska Cypress, Nootka False Cypress, Yellow Cypress 'Pendula'.

More about weeping nootka cypress

About Weeping Nootka Cypress

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula' · also called Weeping Alaska Cypress, Nootka False Cypress · flowering

Weeping Nootka Cypress is a dramatically architectural conifer with strongly pendulous, rope-like branchlets of dark blue-green foliage, creating an elegant weeping silhouette. Native to western North America, it thrives in cool, moist climates and makes a superb specimen tree. Chamaecyparis foliage is mildly toxic to pets if ingested.

Cold limit: USDA 4-8 · RHS H6 (-25 to 22°C)

What weeping nootka cypress's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — weeping nootka cypress is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-8 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Weeping Nootka Cypress is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for weeping nootka cypress as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can weeping nootka cypress go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when weeping nootka cypress can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Weeping Nootka Cypress hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is weeping nootka cypress cold hardy?

Yes — weeping nootka cypress is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Weeping Nootka Cypress is hardy across USDA 4-8; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature weeping nootka cypress can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Weeping Nootka Cypress is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is weeping nootka cypress?

Weeping Nootka Cypress is rated USDA 4-8 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can weeping nootka cypress survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to weeping nootka cypress below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.