Pocket BotanistCheck these first
- Check if the soil is bone dry.
- Examine the bark for sunken lesions or cracks.
- Prune off one brown branch to inspect the wood inside.
Likely causes
Drought Stress
Most likelyHow to tell: The tips turn crisp and brown, especially during hot or dry summer months.
What to do: Water the tree deeply once the top 3 inches of soil feel dry. Ensure you soak the ground slowly so the water reaches the deep roots.
Cypress Canker
PossibleHow to tell: You will see localized browning on specific branches rather than the whole tree. Look for sunken or cracked areas on the bark near the brown foliage.
What to do: Prune out the affected branches at least 6 inches below the visible damage. Sterilize your pruning shears with alcohol between every cut to prevent spreading the fungus.
Find out what's wrong with your italian cypress
The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
When to worry
If you see sunken lesions on the main trunk, the tree is in serious danger. Brown tips on the very outer edges are often just a sign of minor dehydration.
Stopping it coming back
Avoid wounding the tree with lawn equipment and maintain a consistent watering schedule to keep the tree resilient.
Italian Cypress: brown tips? Check yours with a photo
Every plant is a little different. Take a photo of your italian cypress and Pocket Botanist tells you which cause is most likely, how serious it is, and what to try first. A few checks a day are free. Save the plant and you get care reminders timed for it.
Scan with your phone's camera to get the app
Or go to pocketbotanist.app/get on your phone
Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free
Questions people ask
- Is brown tip the same as Cypress Canker?
- Not always. Brown tips are often caused by dry soil, while Cypress Canker is a specific fungal disease that causes branch dieback.
- Should I fertilize a tree with brown tips?
- No, avoid fertilizing a stressed tree. Focus on correcting the water and pruning away the dead parts first.
Guides to these causes
More problems with Italian Cypress
Back to the Italian Cypress guide
This article was generated with AI on from the plant’s care profile and is general information, not horticultural advice. Read about how we build these guides.