Search This Blog

07 January 2017

Should You Plant Leyland Cypress Trees

By Catherine Stone


A tree is an major investment of time and energy, so it pays to choose the right one for your garden. Leyland Cypress trees can make a living fence or privacy hedge. An individual one can be a striking focal point for your landscape. This cypress originated in Great Britain, and it's eminently suitable for most of Georgia's regions.

This extremely popular variety of landscape tree is not native to anywhere. The first examples of this conifer (cone bearing evergreen) grew on a British estate as a hybrid between two cypress species. Some Monterey cypress were planted near some Nootka cypress and they cross-pollinated. The new trees were emerald green, well-shaped, and extremely fast growing. Other landowners had the same serendipity; there are over 40 types of the species today.

The rapid growth and dense foliage of this hybrid form makes them great for privacy hedges or windbreaks. The tree is tolerant of air pollution, which makes it good for urban areas. It is fairly drought-tolerant, so it takes little care. It gets very tall and very wide; it can be pruned to keep it under control, but beware of crowding and of over-shadowing your neighbor's yard.

In the right conditions, this variety is sturdy and disease-resistant. It is shallow-rooted, so very strong winds are a threat once it grows over twenty feet tall. Its soft branches make it easy to prune but also make it vulnerable to damage from heavy snowfall. Homeowners in hot, dry regions should provide a good soaking once a week.

They grow up to four feet a year, increasing in diameter, too. A mature Leyland can be over 100 feet tall and 25 feet wide. They don't like wet soils but otherwise are remarkably tolerant of soil types. Georgia's planting zones are perfect, since the tree prefers zones 6 to 8. However, you find Leylands all over from zone 5 to 10. Full sun is best for these fast-growing evergreens, but they can make do in light shade.

A single tree can make a magnificent specimen. It can grow to 130 feet, spread to 25 feet wide, and has a naturally pleasing shape if it is nursery-grown from cuttings. Seedling trees can be more straggly. The original hybrids are mostly still alive and well in Britain, so that makes them over 125 years old.

For a dense hedge, plant no less than five feet apart. Annual pruning to keep the trees from getting too tall will help keep them bushy all the way to the ground. If they are crowded together, the lower branches may die, ruining both the appearance of the hedge and its effectiveness. Crowded trees are also more vulnerable to disease.

The popularity of this tree is partly because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to grow. However, their beauty also makes them desirable. In Georgia, homeowners should check their planting zones, make sure that such a vigorous variety won't shade neighboring properties, and make sure the plants they choose are started from cuttings. If conditions are favorable, the Leyland cypress should be a joy for many years to come.




About the Author:



No comments: