WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Microbiota decussata, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Siberian cypress in California

In July on the north-central coast, established Siberian cypress in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Siberian cypress is a low, spreading evergreen conifer from the mountains of far eastern Russia. It stays about a foot and a half tall and spreads up to 12 feet wide. Its soft, feathery sprays of bright green foliage nod at the tips and take on bronze tones in the cold months. It prefers cool summers, more shade than junipers, and moist soil that drains well.

Ground coverShrubRated for 2 of 6 zones

How often to water Siberian cypress, 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 Siberian cypress 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 2 inches down under the spreading branches in summer signals Siberian cypress needs water
  • Feathery foliage dulling and the branch tips browning in hot weather can indicate thirst or heat stress
  • Bronze or coppery foliage in the cold months is normal and not a sign of drought
  • Browning patches over soggy soil point to poor drainage or excess water

How to water it

  • Water under the spreading branches with low drip or a soaker
  • Soak about 8 inches down, then let the top inch or two dry
  • Plant in partial shade inland, in moist, well-drained soil
  • Mulch under the branches to keep roots cool
  • Use it on slopes and banks where water drains away

Through the seasons

Keep a new planting evenly moist through its first summer as branches spread. Established plants want steady moisture and cool roots, and they suffer in hot summers or wet, poorly drained soil. It is evergreen, but foliage turns bronze-purple to copper in fall and winter. No pruning is needed. On the north-central coast and the south coast, WUCOLS rates Siberian cypress moderate water. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, South Inland, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Siberian cypress spills nicely over the edge of a wide container or raised planter. Use a well-drained mix that holds some moisture, and water when the top inch dries, letting it drain. In summer heat, check every day or two and keep the pot in afternoon shade. Empty the saucer each time. In winter, the foliage bronzes, so water only when the mix dries.

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

WUCOLS lists Siberian Cypress as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Siberian Cypress: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.78–––
Feb0.53–0.81–––
Mar0.87–1.15–––
Apr1.18–1.4–––
May1.46–1.61–––
Jun1.61–1.74–––
Jul1.61–1.98–––
Aug1.49–1.86–––
Sep1.24–1.49–––
Oct0.87–1.15–––
Nov0.47–0.84–––
Dec0.31–0.65–––
Year12–15.5–––

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 Siberian cypress. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Formosa Sugar PalmArenga englerinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingChilean Feather BambooChusquea culeou (C. breviglumis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlackbrushColeogyne ramosissimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingGlaucous Scorpion VetchCoronilla valentina glaucanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWillowleaf CotoneasterCotoneaster salicifoliusnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMadagascar SagoCycas thouarsii (SHADE)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingIrish HeathDaboecia cantabricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingButterfly PalmDypsis lutescens (Areca)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella BambooFargesia murielaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBlue Fountain BambooFargesia nitida (Sinarundinaria nitida) (BAMBOO)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPrickly HeathGaultheria mucronata (Pernettya mucronata)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOtterbossieGossypium harknessiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBox-leaved HollyIlex crenatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBellyache BushJatropha gossypiifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMountain LaurelKalmia latifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBarbados CherryMalpighia glabranot 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 Siberian cypress, 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 Siberian cypress need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established Siberian cypress needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 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 Siberian cypress change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Siberian cypress separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water 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.

Why is my Siberian cypress turning brown in winter?

Its foliage naturally shifts from bronze-purple to copper as the weather cools. Green returns in spring. Do not add water for color alone.

Can Siberian cypress grow in shade?

Yes, it is more shade tolerant than groundcover junipers. Partial shade helps it in hot areas.

How wide does Siberian cypress spread?

It can spread up to 12 feet wide while staying about 1.5 feet tall. Give it room on slopes or banks. No pruning is needed.

Does Siberian cypress like heat?

It performs best in cool summer climates and dislikes hot, humid summers. Inland, give it afternoon shade and steady moisture. Coastal gardens suit it better.

How is it different from creeping juniper?

Its branch tips nod downward and its foliage is softer. It is also more shade tolerant. Both need good drainage.

More plant watering guides

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Sources