Scientific name: x Cuprocyparis leylandii
Synonym: Callitropsis leylandii, Chamaecyparis x leylandii, Cupressus x leylandii, x Cupressocyparis leylandii, x Hesperotropsis leylandii
Family: CUPRESSACEAE
Common names: “Leyland cypress”
Plant Type: Evergreen conifer tree
Conditions:
Zone: 6-9
Light: Full sun – semi-shade
Exposure: Exposed or sheltered
Soil: Any deep soil
Moisture: Moist-average best, handles drought and also wet feet
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 130′ W 40′ , very fast growing, 13′ by age 6
Leaf and Stem shape: Narrowly conical or columnar habit, with tiny scale-like leaves in dense sprays
Flower: Small spherical cones
Pruning: None required for the plants health, but can be trimmed as a hedge, first remove the top once it has reached the desired height, then trim back all the new growth 2-3 times a year with the last cut in September, it will not regrow from old wood so don’t cut into older branches
Maintenance: High – very high depending on location, shallow rooted so it may require staking for the first few years, when planting a new hedge space them 3′ apart
Landscape use: Hedges and wind screens,architectural, large parks and estates
Propagate: By cuttings
Pests & Disease: None if grown well
*Deer proof
Comments: Banned in Britain under the 2005 Anti-Social Behavior Act, after a man shot his neighbor over a hedge complaint in 2003, “For many people who hated their neighbours, leylandii became a weapon of choice, as much as a gun or a knife” , not recommended for city lots!
Cultivars: ~AGM winner : x C. l. ‘Gold Rider’ – Bright yellow foliage, same size
