Question
Jim,I just bought a house with several large and beautiful leyland cyprus trees around the house.  The trees are planted 3 or 4 feet away from the side of the house.  (I know I will have to keep the trees trimmed on the house side to keep them off the house.) An inspector told me that I needed to remove all of the leyland cyprus trees around the perimeter because the roots would damage the cement that was poured for the basement.  Is that true?  Sure hate to lose these trees, but I want to do the right thing.  Thanks!

Answer
I am sorry I lean with the inspector. This is a fast-growing evergreen when young and will quickly outgrow its space in small landscapes. It is an excellent choice for quick screens, hedges and groupings, especially on large properties. This tree will grow 60 to 70 feet tall and 12 to 20 feet wide. Heights of 70 to 100 feet are not uncommon. This tree prefers sun to part shade and well-drained fertile soil. It is very adaptable, however, and tolerates acidic or alkaline soils and poor drainage on occasion.

I think you will have problems with this tree this close to the house. The roots if given a chance can damage the foundation also the root system is fairly shallow and a large tree could be blown down during a wind storm --this could also damage your foundation, I am sorry i would remove the trees.