Leyland Cypress: A Very Costly ‘Cheap’ Tree

If you want to plant a row of screening trees, a lot of trees, 10, 20, 30, 40 or more trees, it can get very expensive. So, you hit Google and look up “fast-growing privacy trees,” and Leyland Cypress trees show up on the list. Probably at or near the top. You can get them for less than $20 a tree.

For 20 bucks a tree you’ll have to start small, but that’s okay, Leyland Cypresses are fast-growing.  A few hundred bucks and one weekend of planting and you’re done. You can afford to plant a privacy screen and still have enough money to get through Christmas!

A row of “cheap” Leyland Cypress trees reminds me of my first “free to a good home” dog I owned. I didn’t pay a dime for that dog; until I took him to the vet the first time, and then he chewed up 3 left shoes (yes, only the left ones) and then he filled up a room with the stuffing from a couch. I loved that free dog, but he taught me that saving money can be pretty costly in the long run. 

Leyland Cypress trees are another great example of an expensive bargain. The good news with your inexpensive trees is that they will grow quickly. The bad news is that your trees do not stop growing quickly after they have gotten to the right size. They tend to grow fast and overgrow their space in a few years. The lower branches get shaded out and die. Once the lower branches are gone, you have lost your screen. 

Then you find out that Leyland Cypress trees are very vulnerable to diseases, most of which are
untreatable. They also do not do well with snow, ice, and heavy winds.

Wow, time flies. It seems like just a few years ago, you found a bargain way to plant a privacy screen. Now you are spending a huge amount of money to remove a mess and you have to start over again. 

Using trees and shrubs can be a great way to give you a little screening and privacy.  Just make sure that you do a little research and get something that will give you value for a long time.