Leighton Green

Leighton Green (Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Leighton Green') is the quickest way to put a tall evergreen wall along a boundary. Left untrimmed it runs to about 12m tall and 4m wide, but clipped twice a year it holds between 2m and 6m, narrow enough for a suburban fence line. The fine foliage is dense enough to stop a view outright. Planted 1.5m apart it closes into a solid screen in two to three seasons.

Why you'll love it

• Speed no other conifer matches. In good conditions it puts on close to a metre of height a year.
• You set the height. Two trims a year hold it at 2m over a fence, or 5m to 6m to screen a two storey neighbour.
• Built for exposed sites. Wind tolerant and salt tolerant, so it works on coastal blocks and open rural boundaries.
• Cold and dry are both fine. Frost hardy for cold inland and southern gardens, and drought tolerant once established.

Where it works best

Boundary screening. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. A dense hedge along a busy road also takes the edge off traffic noise.

Formal hedging. The fine foliage holds a sharp edge, so it clips into an architectural hedge.

Windbreaks on rural blocks. A double staggered row filters wind instead of blocking it, which is what an exposed paddock needs.

Growing Leighton Green in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth. This is a hedge for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, New South Wales, South Australia and southern Western Australia all suit it. In humid tropical and subtropical gardens it is a poor choice: wet heat brings fungal dieback and brown patches that never fill in. Northern gardeners are better served by a lilly pilly screen.

Soil, water and feed. Any reasonable soil, but drainage is not negotiable. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound and work compost and gypsum through the trench. Mulch 75mm deep along the row. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. Trim lightly and often, twice a year, starting in the first season. It does not reshoot from bare old wood, so never cut past green foliage.

What to expect when it arrives

Tube stock and the multi packs, 140mm in tens, 200mm in sixes and 250mm in threes, suit a long boundary: they establish fast and cost a fraction of advanced stock per metre. The 300mm, 400mm and 500mm pots and the 45L and 100L sizes arrive already branched and carrying height, which suits a short run or an urgent screen.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Browse the full conifer range
• Preparing a planting trench before you start

Common questions

How many plants do I need for my boundary?

At the 1.5m spacing we recommend, divide the length of the run in metres by 1.5 and add one, so a 20m fence line takes about 14 plants. Closer spacing does not close the screen any sooner, it only puts the plants into competition. A double staggered windbreak row needs twice the number.

Can I cut it back hard if it gets too tall?

Not into bare wood. Leighton Green will not reshoot from old brown timber, so a hard cut leaves a permanent gap. Reduce it gradually within the green foliage, and start trimming early so it never gets away from you.

How much room does the hedge need?

Allow about a metre of width for a trimmed hedge, and set the row at least 600mm off the fence so you can get behind it. Untrimmed it spreads to around 4m.