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Leyland Cypress or Arbor Vitae?

We are trying to create a screen along our rear property line (about 40 feet wide). We are trying to decide between 8 leylandii or 15 arbor vitae. Which should we choose?

Public Comments

1. Leyland cypress get to be HUGE FAST. A one gal pot can turn into a 20' tree in 5 years. The arbor vitae grows slower, does not get as tall. It's a toss up.
2. Leyland Cypress, a hybrid will grow the fastest, but be the weakest and can reach 100 feet tall in some cases and are prone to storm damage. So you'll have to do a lot of pruning the rest of your remaining existence.... The Arborvitae [Tree of Life] is a SLOW growing, native American species, as opposed to a man-made hybrid, and will take some time, but will be the FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL and valuable hedge in time. So for quick effect and lots of pruning try Leyland. For slower but surer effect [and the trunks are very pretty when they are old] try the Arborvitae. Or [drumroll] why not use BOTH for variety like this A L A L A L A L A in a nice row. Kinda like the way I used White Dogwood, Pink Dogwood, in a series. Of course, depends on the price too. If you can get 12 Leyland's at 5$ apiece it's better than 6 Arborvitae at 35$ apiece. The Leyland unlike the Arborvitae, is produced by nurserymen by stem cuttings. It produces no seed. The arborvitae can be both propagated from seed or cuttings. If you know how to root cuttings and have a friend with some Leyland's or Arborvitae in it, you could in one year easily produce a hundred of each practically FREE. To assist privacy, once your living hedge is grown, on the outside facing neighbors put a sign "Have shotgun and a bad temper!"