Leaf
David J. Stang, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Leyland cypress
× Cupressocyparis leylandii (A.B.Jacks. & Dallim.) Dallim.
Also known as: Leylandii
Family: Cupressaceae
Can exceed 20 m if untrimmed (generally kept between 2 and 5 m as a hedge)
Very fast-growing screening hedges, very widely planted in France and Europe
Flowering: No notable flowering (tiny cones, of no ornamental value)
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Born by chance from a cross between two different genera of conifers, it grows so fast — sometimes more than a metre a year — that, if poorly maintained, it has become one of the main causes of neighbour disputes in Europe.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, very fine scales, green to grey-green, arranged in dense flat sprays
🌸 Flowers
Tiny cones, of no ornamental value
🍎 Fruits
Small globular brown cones, rare on trimmed specimens
🪵 Bark
Reddish-brown, fibrous
🗺️ Distribution
Garden hybrid that arose spontaneously in England in the late 19th century, between two North American conifers; now planted throughout Europe
🐝 Value for pollinators
Of no interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Screening and windbreak hedge with extremely rapid growth, requiring strict, regular trimming
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Foliage slightly toxic if eaten
🌿 Other Cupressaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
© Floraneo — profile content is protected; reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photos remain under their own licence (see the credit shown on each photo).