IN THIS usher
The Leylandii ( xCuprocyparisleylandii ) is a fast - growing , evergreen conifer that makes up much of our British hedgerow , and divides many a garden – and opinion .
A UK - abide loan-blend of the Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress trees , Leylandii is a stalwart industrial plant which produce speedily and easily in the UK and flourish in a wide miscellany of soils.1Leyland Cypress ( Cupressus x leylandii ) . ( n.d . ) . Woodland Trust . think March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/leyland-cypress/
When the right way pruned and carry off , it makes the idealistic hedge or filmdom – dense , green , and equal to of reaching great pinnacle .
Many mass admire Leylandii for its impressive size and foliation , which can provide shade and shelter , and make a tone of privacy in even the most overlooked gardens .
But it ’s not for everyone – this thirsty tree consumes a lot of nutrients from the soil , and can block out much - desired sunlight.2BBC . ( 2006 , October 23).Ask the nurseryman : Hedges . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2025-03-18/hedges_feature.shtml
Leylandii has stunning green and yellow foliage
Leylandii is responsible for for more than its fair part of neighbourly dispute !
Providing you bonk what you ’re getting into , Leylandii can make a highly advantageous addition to your garden .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun / Partial Shade
ExposureExposed or shelter
Height12M+
Spread4 – 8 M
PreferredMost Soil Types
MoistureWell Drained
pHAny
Leylandii is said to have spring up on the Leighton Hall estate of the realm , near Powys in Wales .
Here , the Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress trees , which are both native to North America and usually grow 400 stat mi apart , were brought into contact lens for the first time.3Taxodium distichum . ( 2019 ) . The University of Texas at Austin . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=tadi2
Leylandii has stunning green and yellow foliage
They were grouchy - fertilised , creating 6 dead ringer plants , and the Leylandii ( or Leyland Cypress ) as we know it today was born.4Types of Leylandii . ( 2021 , September 24 ) . Leylandii.com . Retrieved March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.leylandii.com/types-of-leylandii/
Leylandii is a fast - growing , pyramidic coniferous tree that can extend to over 30 m tall .
It has reddish - grey ridged barque , and brown slender sprig – although these are mostly concealed by the dense dark-green foliage .
This foliage consists of scaly , over - lap leaves in plane spray .
The tree also produces ball - shaped brown cones , which on male plants have yellow pourboire at the final stage .
Common Varieties
The two most vulgar variants of Leylandii are Green and Golden – of these , the unripe variant is the most usual .
It acquire quicker and taller than the gold , and its leaves are fine , scalier , and more blue-blooded - green in colour .
In comparison , Golden Leylandii leaves are , unsurprisingly , gold - tinge .
Within each var. are many different cultivar , including the bright green ‘ Hillspire ’ , the blue - tinged ‘ Naylor ’s Blue ’ , and the yellow - tipped ‘ Gold Rider ’ .
As is common in intercrossed plants , Leylandii is sterile and is not capable of reproducing itself .
This mean that all of the numerous Leylandii plants develop in the UK today were implant by world .
Leylandii ’s popularity stems from its dense leafage , inexpensive cost , and promptly - growing nature ( it can produce around 1 m every year ) .
The fatheaded , evergreen plant foliage ensures it looks proficient year - round and can provide effective shade and tax shelter from the elements , as well as a privacy CRT screen between gardens , a roadblock against noise pollution , and a home for wildlife – it ’s bully for encourage more birds into your garden .
Plant Care & Growing Tips
The Leylandii is a brave plant and will uprise in many types of soil .
However , Leylandii plants need a lot of nutrients and will drain your soil ironical .
to compensate , you will need to add a lot of compost or rotted manure , to replace the nutrient – the best times to do this are spring and autumn .
likewise , Leylandii also has a eminent water requirement , and you should irrigate it regularly with your garden hose whilst it ’s grow .
Once base , it is more tolerant to periods of drought , however , you should still irrigate it to achieve the beneficial development .
Leylandii does not like waterlogged ground , so make indisputable the area has good drainage .
It’s important to regularly cut back your hedging
Full sunlight is preferred , but it will also grow well in partly shaded areas .
The good meter to implant Leylandii is in spring or summertime .
Dig a hole twice the size of its beginning ball system , and come in the Leylandii in the trap , ensuring that the top of the root ball is no more than 1 cm below the top of the soil .
Add potting soil to the cakehole to give the plant a nutritive boost , and pack the soil down . Water until it is moist , but not saturated .
In guild to mature Leylandii as a hedgerow , you should position the unseasoned plants approximately 1 m asunder from each other ( and a reasonable distance from any buildings ) .
Keep them well - fed and watered , and within 3–4 years , they should develop into each other and form a hedgerow .
Trim it on a regular basis to keep it under control , and in the desire physical body ( see more on pruning below ) .
Due to its high nutrient and piddle need , it can be difficult to grow other plants around your Leylandii .
If you desire to do so , you ’ll need to choose hardy kind that can cope with impoverished soil .
Some good examples of background - cover plant that can grow around Leylandii admit Vinca rosea ( Vinca youngster ) , bergenia , and Welsh poppy .
Habitat & Growing Conditions
As the Leylandii is technically native to the UK ( being the child of two American trees , but ‘ born ’ over here ) , it is tolerant of our seasonal mood , including wind and cold temperatures .
It can rise in cheery and partly shaded areas , shelter or expose , and will withstand temperature between -25 - 30 ° C .
As far as soil goes , Leylandii is n’t too fussy there either and will grow in everything from sandy , clay or chalky soil – as long as it is damp .
However , it does n’t like waterlogged ground , as this can have ascendant rot , so the grease must have sufficient drainage .
It is happy in both acidulent and alkaline pH .
Pruning Leylandii
even pruning of your Leylandii is essential – this is an specially tight - produce plant , and once it grows too tall , it can become very difficult to bring down back .
Neglected Leylandii can cursorily become a source of neighborly latent hostility !
Pruning too much at once can also imply the plant life wo n’t regrow , causing a brownish patch , so it ’s undecomposed to keep on top of it .
You should aim to snip your Leylandii twice a year ( or more if required ) , to keep it at the desired form and top .
Aim for a height of around 2 m , as this will ensure you may easily maintain it , and keep it calculate its undecomposed , with even foliation throughout the plant .
If your Leylandii grows too tall , it may not be capable to get enough nutrients from the surrounding dirt , and the lower branches may moult their leaves .
It ’s also important to remark that trimmed old forest will not grow newfangled leaf , so you want to ensure you ’re cutting new green shoot , as well as remove any stagnant arm – and the room to do this is by steady trimming .
A full time to prune is in belated saltation / early summer , and then again in former summer / other fall .
leave your Leylandii is within your range , there ’s no reason you ca n’t rationalise it yourself using pruning shears .
Otherwise , you may wish to apply the services of a professional tree operating surgeon .
If you want to significantly burn back or fell a Leylandii that ’s near your home , you will belike demand to do this in stages ( a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree surgeon will be able to advise ) .
Gradual cutting back will permit the surrounding soil to adjust to the high water message as the Leylandii eat less , and will forbid soil heaving , which can stimulate equipment casualty to edifice .
Common Problems
Leylandii is susceptible to canker disease and blight .
One such representative is Kabatina shoot blight , a prejudicious fungal contagion which causes foliage to reverse browned , and eventually grey , and needles to leave out early .
If your Leylandii is struck by this , clip the septic branches , apply a copper fungicide , and give it plenty of intellectual nourishment and water to enable it to fight the disease .
If this does n’t work , you will have to remove the works from the hedge .
Another fungal infection to observe out for is honey fungus .
This deadly fungus fan out underground , and attacks the roots of the Leylandii works , causing them to die and decay .
Symptoms include leave turn over picket and dying , a whitened layer of fungus in the barque at the stem of the plant , and dearest - coloured toadstool come out in the autumn .
There is no cure for dearest fungus – an infected industrial plant must be removed and destroyed , and a forcible roadblock created to forfend it spreading to neighbouring plants .
Common Leylandii pests include bagworms , weighing machine insects and conifer aphid .
Aphids ( greenflies ) can dissemble your Leylandii ’s growth , sucking its fool and excreting a sticky residue ( honeydew ) , which can make it vulnerable to mould .
house that your Leylandii is affected include visible bug , honeydew and deformed leaf .
Infestations are usually controlled by instinctive predators in summer .
Neighbourly Disputes
The gravid problems faced by Leylandii owners hap as a result of the plant growing too tall and out - of - script , particularly in residential locations .
Leylandii can often induce unwanted shade and needle - dropping in surround gardens , leading to disgruntled neighbours and neighbourly disputes.5Our least popular export?(2014 , September 24 ) . BBC Gardening . find March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2025-05-16/garden_leyland_feature.shtml
If you ’re considering constitute Leylandii , and you have tight neighbours , you should always be considerate .
Ensure your hedgerow is kept well - trimmed , so it does n’t encroach on your neighbor ’s garden , and ideally less than 2 m high , so that it does n’t block out igniter .
If any part of your hedge cover the bound into a neighbouring garden , your neighbour has a right to prune back that part.6High hedges – neighbour disputes . ( n.d . ) . Leeds.Gov.uk . retrieve March 21 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.leeds.gov.uk/planning/high-hedges-neighbour-disputes
If a neighbour believes your Leylandii is damage or affecting their enjoyment of their property , they can also put in a charge to the council .
How To Stop Leylandii Growing
Leylandii is a intrepid , fast - growing plant that can quickly grow out - of - hand – un - trimmed trees have been known to hit over 30 m improbable , and 8 m wide .
The only tangible way to stop a Leylandii growing is to kill it , or remove it from your garden .
If you need to block off Leylandii by removing it , it would be right to engage the assistance of a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree surgeon , who can advise on the best track of action .
This may involve cutting the tree down gradually , to give up the fence soil metre to conform , and avoid grime heave .
The honorable mode you could foreclose Leylandii growing too high is by regular pruning .
As long as you do this 2 - 3 time a twelvemonth , and switch off it back enough each time , you should n’t call for to worry .
“ As a quick - raise hedge , you ca n’t ask for well than Leylandii but , unless you want to return out with your neighbours , be inclined to cut it back several times a year to keep on top of it because if you ca n’t cut back into the woodwind , it will have a tendency to increase in size year - by - yr , ” shares Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .
“ If you have the space ( lots of it ) you could let it do its thing and allow it to grow into a specimen tree . ”
direct to keep it below 2 m improbable , so you may easily maintain it – and keep your neighbours happy .
