Leylandii Hedge Plants
Fast-growing evergreen screening

Leylandii Hedge Plants

Shop Green Leylandii
Leylandii is a fast-growing evergreen hedge for creating dense privacy, screening and wind protection. Choose classic Green Leylandii for a deep-green screen or Golden Leylandii for the same evergreen character with brighter yellow-gold foliage. Compare the two varieties below and choose the starting size that suits your garden or project.

Choose the right Leylandii for your hedge

Both varieties make fast-growing evergreen screens. The main choice is whether you want the classic deep-green appearance of Green Leylandii or the brighter foliage of Golden Leylandii.

Green Leylandii or Golden Leylandii?

Both are vigorous evergreen conifers that can form dense screening quickly. Green Leylandii is the classic choice for a deep-green hedge, while Golden Leylandii adds brighter yellow-gold foliage.
CompareGreen LeylandiiGolden Leylandii
FoliageDeep greenYellow-gold
Best forClassic dense evergreen screeningBright evergreen screening with extra colour
GrowthVery fast growingFast growing
EvergreenYesYes
Planting densityVaries by starting sizeVaries by starting size
PruningTrim regularly within green foliageTrim regularly within green foliage
View Green LeylandiiView Golden Leylandii
Gwynne Bodsworth, founder and grower at Hedging Plants Direct
Expert nursery advice

Gwynne's Grower's Tip

Leylandii makes an excellent hedge when it is managed from the beginning. Start trimming while the plants are young, keep both the height and width under control and always cut within healthy green growth. It is much easier to maintain Leylandii at the size you want than to let it become oversized and then try to cut it hard back into old brown wood.
Gwynne BodsworthGrower, Hedging Plants Direct
Read the Leylandii care guide →

How to choose Leylandii hedge plants

Choose the variety first. Green Leylandii is the classic choice for a dense deep-green screen. Golden Leylandii is a good alternative when you want fast evergreen coverage with brighter yellow-gold foliage.

Then choose your starting size. Smaller plants are easier to handle and are usually the most economical way to plant a long hedge. Larger plants cost more but give greater height and presence from the day they are planted.

Use the spacing shown on the product variation you choose. Leylandii planting density changes with the size supplied, so use the plants-per-metre figure shown against the live size rather than applying one spacing rule to every plant.

Allow room for future maintenance. Leylandii is vigorous. Make sure you can reach both sides of the hedge where necessary and plan to trim regularly while the foliage is still green.

Helpful next steps

Leylandii planting, spacing and care advice

Mature Green Leylandii hedge maintained as a dense evergreen screenCare GuideLeylandii Hedge Care Guide: Planting, Spacing & PruningRead care guide
Helpful answers

Frequently asked questions about Leylandii hedging

01What is Leylandii hedging?

Leylandii is a vigorous evergreen conifer hybrid commonly grown as a hedge for fast privacy and screening. It is also known as Leyland cypress. The accepted botanical name is × Cuprocyparis leylandii, while the older name × Cupressocyparis leylandii is still widely used.

02Is Leylandii a good hedge for privacy?

Yes. Leylandii forms dense evergreen foliage and can create a substantial year-round screen quickly when it is planted well, watered during establishment and trimmed regularly. It is especially useful where privacy, wind protection or a taller boundary hedge is required.

03How fast does Leylandii grow?

Leylandii is one of the fastest-growing evergreen hedges. In good conditions, established plants can commonly make around 60cm or more of growth in a year. Actual growth varies with soil, moisture, exposure, plant size and pruning.

04What is the difference between Green and Golden Leylandii?

Green Leylandii has the familiar deep-green foliage used for classic fast screening. Golden Leylandii, usually sold as 'Castlewellan Gold', has brighter yellow-gold foliage that can take on bronze tones in colder weather. Both make dense evergreen hedges, but Green Leylandii is normally chosen when maximum vigour and a traditional green screen are the priority.

05How far apart should Leylandii hedge plants be planted?

Spacing depends on the size of Leylandii you buy. As a general guide, many Leylandii sizes are planted at around 2 to 3 plants per metre, but larger plants need more room. Always use the plants-per-metre figure shown on the live product variation you choose.

06Does Leylandii grow back if it is cut into brown wood?

Usually not reliably. Leylandii should be trimmed while there is still healthy green foliage on the branches. Cutting hard back into old bare brown wood can leave permanent gaps, which is why regular trimming from an early stage is much better than trying to reduce an overgrown hedge later.

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About Leylandii hedging

Leylandii, also known as Leyland cypress, is a vigorous evergreen conifer hybrid widely used for fast privacy hedging and screening. The currently accepted botanical name is × Cuprocyparis leylandii, although the older name × Cupressocyparis leylandii is still widely used in horticulture and plant searches.

Its main advantage is speed. Once established, Leylandii can form a substantial evergreen screen much faster than many slower-growing hedge plants, making it useful for privacy, boundaries, wind protection and larger screening projects.

The same vigour means maintenance should be planned from the start. Regular light trimming produces a much better long-term hedge than allowing Leylandii to become oversized and later cutting back into old leafless wood.