Our Breakup Letter with Cedars: Designing Vancouver Landscapes for a Changing Climate

For decades, one plant has reigned supreme in Vancouver's landscapes: the Cedar hedge. It has been the go-to choice for privacy, noise reduction, and creating lush green property boundaries. As landscape architects, we've specified thousands of cedars over the years because they simply made sense for our climate.

But climate change is forcing us to rethink long-standing design decisions, and this is our breakup letter with cedars.

Not because we don't love them—but because the conditions they need to thrive are becoming increasingly difficult to provide.

The Climate Has Changed. Our Landscapes Must Too.

Landscape architecture has always been about designing for the future. Every tree, shrub, and perennial we specify is an investment that should mature beautifully over decades, not just look good on installation day.

The challenge is that the future climate we're designing for no longer resembles the one we experienced twenty or even ten years ago.

Instead of the steady, predictable precipitation our landscapes in the lower mainland evolved with, we're experiencing long dry spells interrupted by sudden downpours—storms that were once considered "10-year events" are becoming far more common.

These dramatic swings place enormous stress on plant material.

Why Cedars Are Struggling

Cedars have one defining characteristic: they love water. Their root systems are incredibly efficient at absorbing available moisture, making them perfectly suited to Vancouver's historically mild, rainy climate. When consistent moisture is available, cedars reward us with dense, healthy growth and vibrant year-round colour.

The problem is consistency.

Today's weather patterns often deliver too much water all at once, followed by extended periods with very little rainfall. Cedars eagerly drink up what is available during heavy rain events, but when conditions suddenly shift to prolonged heat and drought, they struggle to adapt.

The result?

We're seeing established cedar hedges decline—and die—at alarming rates.

Even mature hedges that have thrived for decades are showing signs of stress: thinning foliage, browning branches, dieback, and complete failure. While irrigation certainly helps, inconsistent soil moisture combined with increasing summer temperatures create challenges that many cedars simply cannot overcome.

It's Not Just About Water

Climate change doesn't affect landscapes in one simple way. Higher temperatures increase evaporation, leaving soils dry much faster than they once did. Intense rainfall often runs off before it can deeply infiltrate the soil, meaning plants don't necessarily benefit from the large amount of water that falls in a short period.

Add urban heat islands, compacted soils, and changing seasonal weather patterns, suddenly many traditional landscape plants are growing in conditions they were never adapted to handle.

Designing for Resilience

We must shift our focus from designing landscapes that reflect yesterday's climate to creating landscapes that are resilient for tomorrow's. That means creating planting plans that are adaptable as our climate continues to grow and increasing biodiversity rather than relying heavily on a single species.

The goal isn't simply replacing one hedge with another—it's creating landscapes that are healthier, more resilient, and better equipped for the decades ahead.

Looking Beyond Cedars

Cedars will always have a place in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in natural ecosystems where conditions remain suitable. But as a default hedge choice for many properties, they are no longer the automatic answer they once were.

There are many beautiful alternatives that offer privacy, seasonal interest, habitat value, and greater resilience to our changing climate. Diversifying plant selections also reduces the risk of widespread loss if one species becomes vulnerable to future environmental stressors.

As landscape architects, it's our responsibility to guide clients toward planting decisions that will stand the test of time—not simply continue traditions that no longer serve our landscapes.

The Future Starts Today

Climate change is reshaping the way we approach landscape architecture.

The landscapes of the future won't look exactly like those of the past—and that's okay. By embracing resilient plant choices and forward-thinking design, we can create outdoor spaces that are not only beautiful today but capable of thriving for generations to come.

So yes—this is our breakup letter with cedars.

Not because they've failed us.

Because the climate has changed, and thoughtful landscape design means changing with it.