What is that sap oozing out of my Leyland cypress?
NEWPORT NEWS – Q.I live in northwest New Jersey, where I have four 10-foot-tall Leyland cypress trees growing in my back yard. This past week, I noticed a clear to white liquid substance on the needles of the trees. It almost looks like saliva. I cut most of the effected branches off, but I would like to know what this problem is. The substance is not powdery. I don’t think the problem is scale. Rich, e-mail A. Rich, it sounds like you have a canker. The older interior foliage yellows, then browns. Twigs and branches die. Sunden reddish, dark brown, or purplish cankers form on the bark and ooze sap. Is this what you are seeing? If so, there is no chemical control. Avoid wounding the bark, according to sources I reference. Any type of wound provides an entry point for the fungus. Prune out diseased branches, cutting 6 inches below the site of infection. Leyland cypress, unfortunately, are experiencing many problems in southeastern Virginia and possibly other parts of the country, based
