Cypress (Leyland & Yellow)
Cupressus / Chamaecyparis species
Leyland Cypress extremely common as privacy hedges throughout Tri-Cities developments. Yellow Cypress native to higher elevations and occasionally planted ornamentally.
Identification
Leyland: 20-35m (65-115ft), Yellow: 30-50m (100-165ft)
Leyland: up to 1m diameter, Yellow: up to 2m with distinctive reddish bark
Scale-like foliage in flattened sprays, similar to cedar but often more yellow-green
Leyland: rare (hybrid), Yellow: small round cones (8-12mm)
Key Identifying Features
- Leyland Cypress: extremely fast-growing hedge plant
- Yellow Cypress (Alaska Cedar): weeping branch tips
- Yellow Cypress: distinctive sulfur smell when foliage crushed
- Both have softer foliage than Western Red Cedar
- Leyland Cypress has more upright, columnar form
Identification Photos
Click any photo to enlarge. Photos help with identification but may vary by age, season, and location.
Tree Care
Watering
Leyland: drought-tolerant once established. Yellow Cypress: prefers moist, cool conditions.
Pruning
Leyland: prune regularly to maintain as hedge, do not cut into old wood. Yellow Cypress: minimal pruning needed.
Best time: Late spring to early summer for hedge maintenance
Common Issues
- Leyland: Seiridium canker (causes dieback)
- Leyland: Bagworm
- Yellow Cypress: Yellow cedar decline (climate-related)
- Both: Root rot in poorly drained soil
Maintenance Notes
Leyland: High maintenance as hedge (2-3 trims per year). Yellow Cypress: Low maintenance.
Root System
Shallow to moderate spreading root system
Roots typically extend to or slightly beyond the drip line
Potential Concerns
- Leyland: can heave sidewalks in hedge situations
- Yellow Cypress: less aggressive than cedars
- Both: sensitive to root disturbance
- Hedge plantings concentrate roots along fence lines
Hazard Assessment
Common Failure Modes
- Leyland: stem failure from included bark in multi-leader trees
- Leyland: top-heavy specimens blow over
- Yellow Cypress: large branch failure
- Both: root failure in saturated soil
Warning Signs to Watch For
- Brown patches spreading through foliage
- Resin bleeding from cankers
- Leaning or root plate lifting
- Dieback spreading from base upward
- Splitting at branch unions
Removal Considerations
Key Considerations
- Leyland hedges often contain multiple trees
- Dense foliage makes rigging challenging
- Yellow Cypress can be very large and require crane work
- Hedges may be on property lines requiring neighbor coordination
- Stumps of Leyland will not resprout
Permit Notes
Being non-native is not an exemption anywhere: the thresholds apply whatever the species. Permit thresholds vary across the region: any tree at all in Anmore and Belcarra, 15cm or 5m tall in Port Coquitlam, 20cm in Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, New Westminster and Delta, and 30cm in Port Moody, Burnaby and Surrey. For hedge removals the important detail is that each stem over the threshold counts as its own tree, for both the permit and any per-tree fee or deposit, so a Leyland hedge can become an expensive application.
Check the rules where the tree is
- Port Moody
- Coquitlam
- Port Coquitlam
- Anmore
- Belcarra
- Pitt Meadows
- Maple Ridge
- New Westminster
- Burnaby
- Surrey
- Delta
- Langley
Side-by-side comparison in our Tri-Cities tree bylaw guide. Each city page links to the municipality's own bylaw, which is the authority - these summaries are a starting point, not a permit decision.
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