I have a Cryptomeria Japonica Globosa Nana. It was doing fine and then winter hit. It was dry, watered, not left in the cold. It turned golden brown and became brittle. It's color and condition has not changed. Is it dead or should I wait longer?

It sure looks dead to me, but it never hurts to watch it for a while longer.

Thank you. I don't know what happened to it but glad to know it's basically confirmed. I'll wait another month and then call it.

scratch the bark on the main trunk with a fingernail ...

if the scratch reveals green - it is still alive

if the scratch reveals tan or brown - it is dead

nuswodahs said: It was dry, watered, ...

Was it dry or watered? Cryptomeria need to stay damp always.

nuswodahs said: ....not left in the cold.

I suspect it should have been. Conifers hardy to colder areas NEED a colder winter. House temperatures in winter will kill them. Even in a garage or shed would have been hard on it as they need sunshine all winter.

So basically I let it "dry out" so it stays dry for about a day then fully water. It stayed outside all winter with the exception of the very cold nights where it dropped below 35 and had frost warnings. It would always be out during the day. This winter basically stayed in the 50s/60s and only 1 month of anything colder. Even my plumeria stayed out all winter and we're dormant 1 month. It was a weird winter in NC this year.

It's dead.
It would have preferred to stay outside all the time and stayed moist. In most nursery containers you can water almost every day and not kill the plant, unless it's a moisture-sensitive succulent.

it has been a month so you should be sure that it is dead by now. So sad. I can see it was a nice plant. Sorry you lost it. Perhaps you should have buried the pot on the ground at least partially and keep watering from time to time. Not sure coming in and out of the house is good for any plant. Too much of a sudden change. I think even letting it outside during the frosts while keeping it well watered is better than constantly going in and out of the house. Also, it is easier to survive the winter in a pot if the pot is big, let's say 16-20 inches wide. Finally, the approach of letting it dry before watering again is good on normal conditions but previous to winter and before frosts, water potted plants as well as you can, don't be scarce. get a new one. you will do better next time.