Latin name: X cupressocyparis leylandii dallim
The leylandii is an evergreen conifer tree that is very commonly planted as a hedgerow tree. The first leylandii only started to grow at the end of the 19th century. They are a cross between Nooka and Monterey cypresses. Its birthplace was on the Leighton Estate of CJ Leyland, and the proper name for it is the Leyland cypress.
Leylandii hedge
The gold leylandii are usually planted in a row about four feet apart, and after three-four years they all grow into each other to form a hedge. Their flat, wide sprays of golden-green tinted leaves soon grow into a very dense hedgerow. The green leylandii has very fine, scaly leaves that are a rich green-blue in colour. They grow much taller than the gold leylandii, and have a very distinctive cone shape.
How high do you think these hedgerow trees can grow? Some of them can grow up to twenty metres high and five metres wide! They grow extremely fast, and are tough trees that can withstand a lot of pollution. Leylandii are also a great barrier to noise.
Even though they sound like an ideal hedgerow tree, they are famous for blocking out light and many people see them as a menace. In fact, they were the cause of about 17,000 disputes in the UK in 2005! The problem became so great, that a leylandii law was introduced in Britain in 2005. People can now ask their local authority to help in disputes with their neighbours over leylandii hedges.