Leyland cypress: planting, maintenance, care

2024-04-17T09:50:23.392Z

Highlights: The Leyland cypress can reach 30 m in height and 7 m in wingspan. The dense foliage is composed of flat, supple branches covered with scaly leaves. If planted in sufficiently rich soil, it grows about 1 m per year. The tree is tolerant of most soils and climates. It thrives in both sun and partial shade. It is ideal for creating beautiful hedges. It can grow up to 30 m high and 7 m wide. It has a very rapid growth and excellent hardiness. It grows in both deep and well-drained soil. It adapts to most climates and soils. Its flowers are very discreet. Its leaves measure between 1 and 3 mm long and are dark green, glaucous green, or even bluish in color. It gives off a pungent odor when crushed between your fingers. It loves to grow in sunny conditions. It likes to grow at temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. It will grow in both sunny and shade conditions. Thanks to its rapid growth and dense foliage, the Leyland cypress is an ideal conifer for quickly creating a beautiful privacy and windbreak hedge. It is, however, susceptible to cypress cortical canker, a cryptogamic disease from which it is not possible to get rid of. The only solution is to remove all affected plants or even the entire hedge, as cypress canker is easily transmitted from one tree to another. To prevent it from reaching peaks, it is advisable to prune regularly between the months of April and September. Depending on your budget and your patience, you can plant your trees in pots or subjects of varying size. If you opt for larger subjects, the result will be more aesthetic, but you will have to make sure to water them regularly, especially in dry weather. The most economical option is to choose Leyland Cypresses in pots but will require you to prepare the soil well. To do this, respect a spacing of approximately 1 m between 2 subjects. To create a more airy look and you have enough space in your garden, you could plant them in two rows.

With its majestic appearance, its dense foliage, its rapid growth and its good hardiness, the Leyland cypress is a recommended conifer

Plant ID card
Botanical name	Cupressocyparis leylandii.
Common name	Leyland Cypress, Leyland.
Family	Cupressaceae.
Origin	Britain.
Dimensions	The Leyland cypress can reach 30 m in height and 7 m in wingspan.
Foliage	The dense foliage of the Leyland cypress is composed of flat, supple branches covered with scaly leaves. They measure between 1 and 3 mm long and are dark green, glaucous green, or even bluish in color. When you crush them between your fingers, they give off a pungent odor.
Bloom	The Leyland cypress flowers in March and April. Its flowers are very discreet.
Exposure	Undemanding, the Leyland cypress thrives in both sun and partial shade.
Ground	The Leyland cypress particularly appreciates soil that is both deep and well-drained.
Rusticity	-20°C.

Plant ID card

Botanical name

Cupressocyparis leylandii.

Common name

Leyland Cypress, Leyland.

Family

Cupressaceae.

Origin

Britain.

Dimensions

The Leyland cypress can reach 30 m in height and 7 m in wingspan.

Foliage

The dense foliage of the Leyland cypress is composed of flat, supple branches covered with scaly leaves. They measure between 1 and 3 mm long and are dark green, glaucous green, or even bluish in color. When you crush them between your fingers, they give off a pungent odor.

Bloom

The Leyland cypress flowers in March and April. Its flowers are very discreet.

Exposure

Undemanding, the Leyland cypress thrives in both sun and partial shade.

Ground

The Leyland cypress particularly appreciates soil that is both deep and well-drained.

Rusticity

-20°C.

Resulting from the cross between the Lambert cypress (

Cupressus macrocarpa

) and the Nootka cypress (

Xanthocyparis nootkatensis

), the Leyland cypress has the advantages of both, namely very rapid growth and excellent hardiness. Characteristics that make it ideal for creating beautiful hedges.

How big can a Leyland cypress tree be?

Characterized by its impressive growth, the Leyland cypress can measure

up to 30 m high and 7 m wide

. If planted in sufficiently rich soil, it grows about 1 m per year!

Where to plant Leyland cypress?

Very tolerant, the Leyland cypress is a tree that adapts to most soils and climates. In fact, it withstands wind, cold, sea spray and even pollution just as well.

Location:
undemanding, the Leyland cypress thrives in sun or partial shade. It can be exposed to winds, even cold ones. On the other hand, it does not tolerate prolonged periods of drought well, so choose another variety of cypress if you live in a region with a very dry climate;
Planting:
if it is popular for creating very uniform hedges, the Leyland cypress can also look great when planted in isolation with its columnar silhouette;
Soil:
if the Leyland cypress adapts to almost all types of soil, avoid planting it in soil that is too poor, dry or stony. It appreciates rich soils which favor its growth.

When to plant Leyland cypress trees?

Leyland cypress can be planted

in fall or spring

, once the risk of frost has passed. It is also best to avoid periods of drought.

How to take care of Leyland cypress?

Easy to live with, the Leyland cypress requires little maintenance:

Watering:
the Leyland cypress does not require special watering unless it is planted in a region with a dry climate. It will then need to be watered regularly as soon as the temperatures start to rise;
Diseases and parasites:
resistant, the Leyland cypress is however susceptible to cypress cortical canker, a cryptogamic disease from which it is not possible to get rid of. The only solution is to remove all affected plants, or even the entire hedge, as cypress canker is easily transmitted from one tree to another.

How to make a hedge with Leyland cypress trees?

Thanks to its rapid growth and dense foliage, the Leyland cypress is an ideal conifer for quickly creating a beautiful privacy and windbreak hedge. Copyright (c) 2020 Beekeepx/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

Thanks to its rapid growth and dense foliage, the Leyland cypress is an ideal conifer for quickly creating a beautiful privacy and windbreak hedge. To do this, make sure to respect a spacing of approximately 1 m between 2 subjects. If you want a more airy look and you have enough space in your garden, you can plant your Leyland cypress trees in two rows.

Depending on your budget and your patience, you can plant

subjects of varying size

in pots or pots. Choosing Leyland cypresses in pots is the most economical option but will require you to prepare the soil well. If you opt for larger subjects, the result will be more aesthetic but you will have to make sure to water them regularly, especially in dry weather.

When to prune a Leyland cypress hedge?

Popular with lovers of very compact and large hedges, the Leyland cypress is a very fast growing tree. To prevent it from reaching peaks, it is advisable to prune regularly

between the months of April and September

. This will encourage the appearance of new foliage while controlling its height. Depending on the desired result, do not hesitate to prune 2 to 4 times a year.

Source: leparis

All news articles on 2024-04-17