why you jumping way out there??

how old is it.. when planted... ??? any info there??? .. is the tag still hanging on it??? ... if planted within last 2 years.. i might suspect digging.. transporting or transplant damage .. of a large plant ...

is it all one branch .. dig in there and find out.. is it cracked ... or damaged ...

interior browning is seasonal.. and usual.. increased by transplant .. drought.. etc ... i think there may be a bit of that ...

where are you.. whats the weather for the last year.. etc ... how do you water it ...

we need some more info ... please.. ken

It looks like Interior browning which is normal this time of the year on the Weeping Alaskan Cedars.

Tree has been in the ground for 8 years. Two months of drought conditions in Gloucester, va. Browning started before drought. Tree did not receive regular watering. I am in the process of installing irrigation. The branches appear to be dead.

i

Yes, it's not interior browning - it extends to the exterior. People have asked here before about this tree browning out after planting, I see it happen in my area also. Your suggesting of bot canker may indicate you have looked into the subject more than most of us here, your best bet might at this point be to see if Virginia Cooperative Extension has anything for you.

history rules out many of my thoughts ..

what about the injury idea.. can you go look ...

i would not irrigate a tree that has been in the ground for 8 years ... the rest of it look rather fat and happy ...

the stake seems to indicate a large transplant .... why is it coincidental.. that if there was a rope or wire there.. it looks to reach in.. right where you problem is ???

ken

No broken branch. High winds tilted the tree. I braced it with a 2x6. Browning occurred before bracing.

Maybe stress from drought. Parts of the east coast has been struggling with drought conditions since the spring.

how long ago did it tilt??? .... i presume it was pushed back away from the stake ...

was it ball and burlap .. or potted ... how planted.. that it blew over??? ...

stabbing in the dark here .. bear with me ... ken

ps: we can rule out large children who may have run into it .. i have ruled out really freakin big dog .. lol ...

It is my understanding that on cyprus trees top growth outpaces root growth and therefore makes it vulnerable to being up rooted during high winds.

Nootka cypress is native to windy outer coastal and high mountain habitats. And the top overwhelming the roots thing you have heard about I've suspected before to be due to root deformities produced under nursery conditions rather than an inherent flaw in the kind of tree - they fall over because the top is fast growing and the root-stocks used were deformed before even being used. Or the finished grafts/rooted cuttings weren't kept up with when being grown on afterward. The faster growing a kind is the more likely it is to get pot-bound before being dealt with.

Also if a vigorous tree is not dwarfed (or dwarfed enough) by being grafted onto a slower growing stock then a disproportion can result, wherein a big top ends up perched on a small trunk and root system.

I planted one two Novembers ago. Within 7 months it was completely dead. Mine died because of too much water. I didnt water it a single time. The problem was I did not build up a big enough mound to plant it on. Leeches (and mole salamanders with a vertical fin tail for swimming) live in my soil (Ive got a vernal pool that doesnt dry up until mid/late august(sometimes later) most years).

I've found that Weeping Alaskan Cedars prefer to be on the dryer side. When I planted 4 large Weeping Alaskan Cedars 2-3 years ago I was advised not to water them and that they would die if I did (I know this may go against some people's advise here). I only watered the Weeping Alaskan Cedars directly after transplant and not a drop afterwards and they are all doing well. The interior browning on them was definitely much more pronounced during the first fall but obviously the trees were getting adjusted to its new location and were probably stressed from being transplanted.

Alaska-cedar is notable within the cypress family for its tolerance of
cool and wet conditions. The climate of its natural range is cool and
humid....

Alaska-cedar grows most commonly on Histosols and Spodosols. Best growth
and development are on slopes with deep, well-drained soils. It is seldom
found on the better sites, however, because of competition from faster
growing associates. More frequently, it is found on thin organic soils
over bedrock and is able to survive and grow on soils that are deficient
in nutrients. It grows well on soils rich in calcium and magnesium and
frequently on Lithosols developed from andesite, diorite, gabbro, or
basaltic rocks (18). It is a common component of "scrub" stands
on organic soils at low elevations in Alaska, and on organic subalpine
soils. At high elevations and on half-bog sites, it often develops a
shrublike or prostrate form.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/chamaecyparis/nootkatensis.htm

I would add that they don't like their root zone freezing, I have logged them and would love to grow some but not going to happen.

"...they don't like their root zone freezing..."

Every year for the past 10-12 years or so, mine has had its roots frozen.

And it is pretty gooey clay outside the bed it is in, so I doubt moisture is the issue with the OP's tree. And my clay hasn't stopped the roots from anchoring my tree where it has withstood 70+ mph winds in a quite exposed area. I tend to agree with the idea of compromised roots (J-roots) may explain both the toppling and the branches dying.
tj

Is it on it's own roots? I wonder.

This is what one of mine looked like this spring.

Frank

Nootkatensis roots easily from cuttings, so most are propagated that way. Never noticed a graft when mine was a two footer and it is listed as hardy from zones 4-7.

tj