Leyland Cypress Tree

Size

Leyland Cypress creates privacy faster than almost any evergreen commonly used for screening. Cupressus leylandii grows in a dense, upright column with soft green to gray-green sprays of foliage that block views, wind, and street noise. Young trees can grow 3 to 5 feet per year in good conditions, eventually reaching 40 to 70 feet tall if left unpruned. Use it only where there is enough room for a large evergreen screen to mature without crowding the house or neighboring plants. This natural hybrid of Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress first appeared in England in the late 1800s. Leyland Cypress is valued for fast growth, year-round foliage, salt tolerance, and adaptability to clay, loam, sand, acidic soil, and alkaline soil when drainage is good. It is best suited to larger properties, windbreaks, boundary screens, and tall evergreen backdrops where regular size management is practical. Good spacing and moisture balance are important because crowded or drought-stressed trees are more prone to canker, root rot, mites, scale, and bagworms. Leyland Cypress Care Plant Leyland Cypress in full sun for the densest foliage, although it can tolerate partial shade. It grows in many soil types, but the site must drain well and should not remain wet after heavy rain. Moist, fertile, well-drained soil with acidic to neutral pH is ideal, though this tree can adapt outside that range. Water deeply after planting, then water 2 to 3 times per week during the first month while roots begin to settle. During the first year, reduce to 1 to 2 deep waterings per week as rainfall allows, keeping the soil moist but never saturated. Established trees tolerate mild drought, but long dry periods can increase stress and disease pressure. Fertilize in early spring only when growth is weak or a soil test shows a nutrient need. Prune Leyland Cypress lightly while young if you need a hedge or controlled screen. Shear side growth in midsummer for a formal hedge, and remove broken, dead, or cankered branches as soon as they appear. Keep mulch over the root zone to moderate soil moisture, and avoid planting in tight rows with poor air movement. Leyland Cypress Spacing Space Leyland Cypress 8 to 10 feet apart for a dense privacy screen. For a long-term windbreak or property border with more air movement, space trees 12 to 15 feet apart, and allow much wider room when growing a full-size specimen. Leyland Cypress is not a practical long-term patio container tree, though young plants can be grown temporarily in a large 24-inch or wider pot with drainage until planted in the ground. At the sunny edge of a Leyland Cypress screen, use potentilla and roses where open light reaches the bed and drainage stays steady. Maiden grass can add late-season texture at the front of the screen without competing for the same overhead space. For a mixed evergreen boundary, alternate Leyland Cypress with holly bushes or arborvitae in large landscapes to reduce the risk of one pest or disease affecting the entire screen.