Leyland Cypress Cupressus à leylandii

Resin

Cedar is very different:
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PS:

"im looking to buy more"

Leyland Cypress isn't the best of trees for gardens - it grows very large, very fast, but is liable to canker disease, so you end up with a large, ugly dead tree to deal with.

Resin

ah great thanks, im actually looking to use them to line my fence on my property for privacy, so i want a large fast growing tree. Canker disease? hmmm ill have to look into that, im in Northern Georgia if that means anything.

Common tree used for privacy in North Georgia - but you can have problems with disease if you plant them too closely together - if one gets it then it just gets passed down the line.

Some other alternatives that are growing in favor down there are japanese cedar, deodar cedar and eastern red cedar. Just a side note, the only real cedar in the lot here is deodara. A mixed planting along your fence of different species, varying spacing and sizes will look more natural. Mix in some magnolia and holly and some leylands and some of these others for a more natural look where if something does happen to the trees, whether it be a disease or a drunk driver, it won't look like a missing tooth in an otherwise perfect pair of dentures.

great thanks for all the tips, i was thinking of spacing them 5 feet apart, is that too close or good enough? and if i plant different trees next to each other can they still pass on disease?

You have to consider the mature width of the tree. If they get 15-25 feet wide (which sources say they do), then planting them 5 feet apart with have them jammed together in no time. Ideally you would plant them no closer than 15 feet apart so that they are just touching at maturity.

If i plant different trees next to each other can they still pass on disease?

Other choices are Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), and Arborvitae (Thuja).

Not as likely as having a monoculture of plants side by side.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leyland Cypress vs. Arborvitae

'Green Giant' arborvitae is the one put forward as an alternative to Leyland cypress.

Definitely give some thought to Gardningrandma's advice. Planting a variety of trees will:

- allow you to choose different plants for different conditions (shady spots, low spots, etc)
- be much more interesting/aesthetically pleasing to look at
- look more natural
- give you the opportunity to try different kinds of plants
- not look as bad if one plant dies (the snaggle-tooth look can be real ugly)
- be less likely to be totally devastated by a pest or disease that could easily wipe out a monoculture.

When I bought my house I had a mono culture hedge. They got a virus and I lost the entire hedge (oleander, leaf scorch). 80 feet of dead sticks. Because I could not afford the expense of tearing it out and hauling it away it took years to get rid of it. I now have a mix of natives and exotics. It's still going to be several years before it gives the privacy I lost.

I second 'Green Giant' as a fast privacy hedge... add Thuja occidentalis 'Wintergreen' for another alternative choice.

Dax

Dirtaddshp,

5 feet is too close for a mixed planting. It's about right for a solid leyland hedge but a hedge like that either wont be long lived, require regular shearing or all of the above. When trees are planted that close together they will grow narrower but there comes a point where they just get too big and start shading each other out.

I would not recommend the arborvite. I know they are very popular in the rest of the country but there are trees that tolerate the heat, drought, and soil better. Another one to avoid is norway spruce or blue spruce. Don't forget to add in some shrubery too.