Leyland Cypress

This fast growing conifer is the quickest screen that we know of. Give it regular watering for the first year or two, then let it go. It grows full and dense, giving privacy before you realize. A little history, this cultivar was found in England in the 1890's after an Alaskan Cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, was pollinated by a Montery Cypress, Cupressus macrocarpa, planted near by. These two trees would not hybridize in the wild, as they are not found near each other geographically, but in this English garden they were, and the offspring was found to be more vigorous than either parent. It was named after the owner of the estate, Liverpool banker Christopher Leyland.