Thursday, December 21, 2006

Leyland Cypress

First, Happy Solstice!

Leyland Cypress are a sterile hyrbrid between a Monterey Cypress and an Alaskan Cedar. Impressively, six seedlings were discovered in 1888 on an Estate in Wales. The trees had spontaneously crossbred. The owner of the Estate, Leyland and his newphew developed the trees and as a curiosity, since intergenetic crossbreeding is rare in conifers. All trees today are produced from rooted cuttings, since they hybrids are sterile and crosses do not reliably produce seeds. In fact, all of the nearly twenty occasions when the cross has been noted to occur, it was due to open pollination.

They show promise as Christmas trees because their fast growth and pleasing shape. The attractive feathery foliage varies depending on the exact cultivar ranging from bright green to gray, and appears more like an arborvitae or cypress, than the traditional firs. Although there are variegated cultivars with green foliage and white, yellow and gold tips. The Leighton Green cultivar is favored for the Christmas tree trade due to its traditional dark green color. However, these trees do lack a noticeable aroma.

Since it is a hybrid produced from rooted cuttings, it is not generally used for lumber. Leyland cypress find commerial uses outside of the Christmas tree trade as hedges and windbreaks. However, the tree grows swiftly and needs regular pruning to avoid outgrowing its space. Plus, the tree is not reasonably long-lived. They typically only last for 20-25 years.

1 comment:

growingagardenindavis said...

They are also recommended for those allergic to other "Christmas trees".