Problems of Cypress

Cypress Problems
Symptoms Probable Causes
Small Silken Bags Hang From Twigs Bagworms - Bagworm moths lay their eggs on trees in the fall. Then they hatch the following May or June, releasing hungry, young caterpillars. The bagworm caterpillars, dark brown with white or yellow heads, build silken cocoons, or bags, with silk and bits of cypress needles attached to the outside. They carry their bags as they feed. These small spindle-shaped bags hanging from Leyland cypress branches like Christmas tree ornaments signal the presence of bagworms. A fully developed bag is about two inches long and eventually each one protects up to 1000 eggs over the winter. In sufficient numbers bagworms can kill a cypress.
Leaves Turn Yellow and Wilt Root Rot - Soil-dwelling fungi sometimes cause roots of Leyland cypress to rot. This is only a problem when trees are planted in boggy soil, or soil that does not drain well. Typically, the stems of young trees are attacked at or near the soil level. Foliage turns yellow, wilts, and dies. Usually root systems rot, causing trees to list and even topple over. Once this disease has invaded a tree root system it is nearly impossible to cure. Remove and discard the infected tree along with some of the soil around its roots to prevent the spread of the fungus to nearby plants.