leylandii

Hi,

I would like a leylandii hedge along our drive.
I have headr bad things about this species but some of the hedges i have seen look really nice.
These would be planted near a small retaining wall which is about 50cm tall. Our drive is slightly higher than the road level.

Would the roots cause a problem? I would like to keep it btw 160cm and 190cm high. How far would the roots spread?

Thanks

 

roots will probably not cause problems nine times out of ten they dont but it is a risk. Leyland is a great hedge if you know what your getting into when mature will need pruning twice a year if you want a tall hedge 25 ft plus tnen this task is a big one´ if you dont want 25 foot plus dont bother with layandii IMHO try thuja ´plicatum instead the end result will be as good if not better and maintenance will be easier´ it will just grow slower. If you would consider a move from conifrers beech is fantastic.

 

reread your post at that height i would say leyland is out. If you set on a conifer cuppressus macrocarpa wilma would work not to my taste but lots of people like it and foliage does have a nice lemon scent. If it doesnt have to be a conifer there lots of choice out there. Really dont give yourself the hassle of leyland if you only need a hedge that big

 

thanks. how about hornbeam? would this be ok? I am after something that is not thorny,something safe as it faces a public footpath. The area does get slightly waterlogged at times so i think this may exclude the likes of lauerl but would beech or hornbeam be ok?

 

hornebeam would be a great choice, makes a really classy looking hedge and copes well with damp ish soils better than beech

 

I think I would use Yew, its a good evergreen, grows reasonably fast but is easy to clip and control.

Leylandii is far too fast and large.

Another idea, Box, yes I know its usually seen as a tiny scrawny hedge, but if allowed to grow properly its as good if not better than many other hedging plants.