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.
FormneedlesformHow to recognise it
Height
Leyland: 20-35m (65-115ft), Yellow: 30-50m (100-165ft)
Trunk
Leyland: up to 1m diameter, Yellow: up to 2m with distinctive reddish bark
Needles
Scale-like foliage in flattened sprays, similar to cedar but often more yellow-green
Cones
Leyland: rare (hybrid), Yellow: small round cones (8-12mm)
Quick check
- 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
Photo guide
5 things to look for: photographs coming
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
Maintenance. Leyland: High maintenance as hedge (2-3 trims per year). Yellow Cypress: Low maintenance.
Common issues
- Leyland: Seiridium canker (causes dieback)
- Leyland: Bagworm
- Yellow Cypress: Yellow cedar decline (climate-related)
- Both: Root rot in poorly drained soil
Roots
Shallow to moderate spreading root system Roots typically extend to or slightly beyond the drip line
Hazards
Windfall risk
Medium
Branch drop risk
Low
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
Difficulty: MediumTypical cost: $$-$$$- 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
Permits
Being non-native is not an exemption anywhere: the thresholds apply whatever the species. Permit thresholds vary across the region: 15cm or 5m tall in Port Coquitlam, 20cm in Anmore, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, New Westminster and Delta, 30cm in Port Moody and Surrey, and 30.5cm for conifers in Burnaby (Belcarra regulates only trees 5m+ in its mapped permit areas). 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.
Tree bylaws by city