Elevated nutrient concentrations in urban stormwater often lead to the eutrophication of receiving waters. In urban catchments, much of the pollution comes from non-point sources. It is still necessary to understand the individual sources that contribute to nutrient pollution to manage it. The movement of leaves with accompanying leaching and decomposition processes forms an important component of nutrient cycling. In urban areas, stormwater networks can efficiently transport leaves and leached nutrients to receiving waters. Stormwater networks are often varied with areas where leaves will remain in situ being intermittently wetted, areas where leaves will sit inundated, and areas where the leaves will be transported directly to receiving waters. This study investigated nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon release from native and introduced leaves over a 5-week period, for leaves that were permanently inundated or intermittently wetted by flowing water. The experiments were conducted outdoors in concrete channels to be more representative of an urban stormwater system than laboratory-based leachate experiments. The studies found that more nutrients were released from permanently inundated leaves than those intermittently wetted. After several wetting and drying cycles, the nutrient release from intermittently wetted leaves increased. While there were some differences in nutrient forms, there was little difference in total nutrient release from native and introduced leaves. These results inform how leaves contribute to nutrient pollution and provide insight into appropriate management regimes for the removal of leaves in urban catchments.