Fast-growing evergreen conifer hybrid (Monterey cypress × Nootka cypress) widely planted as a screen or windbreak. Capable of 1 m of growth per year in good conditions — both its strength and its principal management problem.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 6–10 | −23.3 °C to 4.4 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H5 | −15 °C to −10 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 6–9 | −18 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 2–6 | −10 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Reaches 20 m in 20 years if unmanaged — capable of dense effective windbreak at any chosen height, but only if clipped regularly to keep that height
- WARNING: Leyland cypress is the single most common neighbour-dispute hedge in the UK — falls under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 high hedges provisions if allowed to exceed 2 m and block neighbour light. Manage height proactively, do not plant in narrow boundary positions
- Will not regenerate from bare wood — once cut back into brown growth, that side stays brown, plan height pruning before bare wood is exposed
- Tolerates exposure, salt wind, and coastal conditions exceptionally well — for that reason still the standard agricultural shelter-belt species across the British Isles
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Leyland cypress against your zones