Leyland Cypress – Substitutes

Q: We love the look of Italian cypress but not Leyland cypress. Is there a substitute that will grow here? We want something tall and cylindrical, not bushy.

A: Italian cypress is an extremely columnar tree. It can grow 30 – 50 feet tall while remaining only three feet wide. I imagine Italian cypress would be cold hardy in Banks county but it often has problems with root rot and spider mites. I don’t see many attractive ones.

Look instead for ‘Skyrocket’ juniper or even ‘Green Spire’ Leyland cypress, which is much narrower than the Leyland’s you see so commonly planted.

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