Weeping Nootka Cypress (Weeping Alaska Cedar) care

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Full sun (6+ hours daily) is essential for the best form, density, and weeping habit. In partial shade, the pendulous branch tips become sparser and the tree loses its narrow silhouette. Avoid sites shaded by buildings or larger trees. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for weeping nootka cypress — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering weeping nootka cypress: regularly during establishment; moderate once mature. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. Water deeply and regularly for the first 2–3 years. Established specimens are relatively tolerant of both moist and moderately dry soils. Mulch the root zone to retain moisture and moderate soil temperature.

Soil and pot

Weeping Nootka Cypress grows best in moist, well-drained to moderately wet, acidic to neutral. Adaptable to a wide range of soils including moist, poorly drained sites. Prefers acidic to neutral pH (5.0–7.0). Avoid hot, dry, alkaline soils. Tolerates heavier clay better than most conifers if not in standing water during summer. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Weeping Nootka Cypress sits happiest at around Moderate to high (50–80%) humidity and -30 to 20°C (-22 to 68°F). Inherits the parent species' preference for cool, humid conditions. Performs well in maritime and upland climates with regular rainfall. In arid or very hot climates, foliage may brown at tips despite irrigation. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed weeping nootka cypress sparingly. Apply a balanced slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring if growth is sluggish or foliage is pale. On fertile garden soils, feeding is rarely needed after establishment. Top-dress annually with composted bark to maintain soil structure. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on weeping nootka cypress in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Branch tip browning — Dead, brown hanging tips can result from drought stress, wind desiccation, or fungal tip blight. Prune out affected shoots to clean wood; improve watering and shelter if wind exposure is a factor.
• Cypress canker (Seiridium spp.) — Bark cankers with resin exudate lead to branch death above the lesion. Remove and destroy infected limbs promptly; sterilise pruning tools with 70% isopropyl alcohol between cuts to prevent spread.
• Slow establishment — This cultivar is notably slow-growing. Young transplants can take 2–3 years to put on significant extension growth. Stake firmly for the first 2 seasons and mulch generously to support establishment.

Propagation

Propagated by semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer with a heel, dipped in IBA rooting hormone (3,000–5,000 ppm) and rooted in a well-drained perlite/bark mix in a cold frame or mist bench. Seed will not reproduce the pendulous form true to type. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Weeping Nootka Cypress is pet-safe. As a cultivar of Cupressus nootkatensis, this tree shares the same toxicology profile. ASPCA does not list Nootka Cypress as toxic. No known toxic principles affect cats, dogs, or horses; incidental foliage ingestion is not considered hazardous. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Weeping Nootka Cypress deep-dive guides

Every aspect of weeping nootka cypress care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Common weeping nootka cypress problems & fixes
• Weeping Nootka Cypress watering schedule
• Weeping Nootka Cypress light requirements
• Best soil mix for weeping nootka cypress
• Weeping Nootka Cypress fertilizing guide
• When to repot weeping nootka cypress
• How to propagate weeping nootka cypress
• How to prune weeping nootka cypress
• What's eating my weeping nootka cypress?
• Weeping Nootka Cypress growth rate & size
• Weeping Nootka Cypress cold hardiness
• Weeping Nootka Cypress temperature & humidity
• Is weeping nootka cypress toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is weeping nootka cypress toxic to cats?
• Is weeping nootka cypress toxic to dogs?
• All 15 Cupressus varieties
• Getting weeping nootka cypress to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Weeping Nootka Cypress qualifies for 10 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Weeping Nootka Cypress is also known as Weeping Nootka Cypress, Weeping Alaska Cedar, and Pendula Nootka Cypress.

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