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Cupressaceae FAMILY

Cupressocyparis leylandii

Cupressocyparis leylandii

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

An easily grown plant, it prefers a moist fertile soil but also succeeds in sandy soils[1] and tolerates calcareous conditions[2]. Very wind resistant, it tolerates salt-laden winds and maritime exposure[3]. A very fast growing tree, capable of reaching 20 metres within 20 years[4]. A number of different clones are available[4, 5]. The Leyland cypress has been widely planted for hedging in recent years, though it is singularly unsuited for this purpose in all but the largest of sites[5]. The plant has gained the reputation of being very bad for wildlife since it offers native species very little in the way of food. However, it is favoured by many birds for roosting, high cover and especially for nesting because it offers such good cover. Our 12 hectare site was totally devoid of trees when we took it over in 1989, five years later we had our first birds nesting in trees on the land - in 4 metre tall Leyland cypresses![PFAF]. Large specimens of this tree help to attract songbirds to the garden[5]. The bruised foliage has a sweet resinous scent[2]. Trees are notably susceptible to honey fungus[5].

Propagation

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7cm with a heel, mid summer in sandy soil in a humid frame[3]. Strikes readily. Cuttings from side growths in early spring[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cupressocyparis+leylandii>

Pollinators

Wind

References

  1. [1]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  2. [2]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Conifers in the British Isles. — Mitchell. A. F. · HMSO · 1975 · ISBN 0-11-710012-9 ↩︎A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]Shelter Trees and Hedges. — Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. · Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food · 1984 · ISBN - ↩︎A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.
  7. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎