You need a privacy screen , fast . You have a few options , but many gardeners turn to the Leyland cypress tree , a fast - growing , columnar - shaped evergreen plant .
Some experts , however , advocate against plant this Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a abode landscape because of disease and maintenance considerations . So if you have n’t yet selected your privacy hedgerow tree change , consider some option .
The Leyland cypress ( xHesperotropsis leylandii ; USDA hardiness zones 6 to 10 ) will , however , rapidly provide a grandiloquent hedge — and maybe tall than you really want .

Leyland Cypress Growth Rate
First , allow ’s infer how a tree ’s " growth charge per unit " is usually measured , which is always its height unless a rootage specify other than — so it does not touch to its girth .
Tree Growth Rates
How fast do Leyland cypress trees grow?
Leyland cypress fall into the " firm " category , and experts peg down its ontogenesis charge per unit at anywhere from 36 column inch to an amazing127 inchesper year . Of course , this depends on multiple factors , such as the soil eccentric , the land ’s drain ability , its fertility , the location ’s sun picture and other environmental conditions , all of which are tough to quantify for any positioning .
If your end is to attain a 12 - foot privacy screen , first look at the size seedling you are planting . For exemplar , if you have a received 1 - gallon nursery pot , you ’re probably commence with a 2 - pes - high tree diagram . If you embed it in free fall , which is advocate , it will be ready to start off with a bang in give . * * If it adds 4 understructure each year , you ’ll have a 12 - foot cypress tree in about three years from planting . * *
Leyland Cypress Considerations
You have intercourse that pedestal of Leyland cypress tree you ’ve driven by ? Right — the one with a few dry out , chocolate-brown specimen between a melodic line of tidy trees ? Well , that is the trouble with this Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree variety : It ’s extremely susceptible to disease .
This susceptibility is due to a variety of factors , one of which is the inclination for gardeners who want a fast secrecy screen to found each Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree too close together . Here are some of the mutual problem :
in fussy . They need regular tearing during dry spells .
Tip
Though they grow fast and grandiloquent , Leyland cypress have a number of downside , including susceptibility to disease and light animation spans .
Alternatives to Leyland Cypress
If you have n’t yet planted your Leyland cypress , experts advocate these alternatives :
( Myrica cerifera ) , also a good option for full - sun locations
' Nellie R. Stevens ' and ' Emily Bruner '
( Osmanthus fragrantissima ) or lusterleaf holly ( Ilex latifolia ) , for shadowed localisation