Wood Species Guide
Leyland Cypress
Cupressus × leylandii (Monterey cypress × Alaskan yellow cedar hybrid)
Also called: Leylandii, Leyland
About the name “Leyland Cypress”
Leyland cypress is a garden hybrid with no wild range, a cross between Monterey cypress and Alaskan yellow cedar. It is not related to bald cypress, the Florida swamp tree on our Cypress page.
What Leyland Cypress looks like
Light yellowish tan to pale reddish brown heartwood with paler sapwood. Fast-grown hedge trees can be very knotty.
Grain and texture
Straight grain with wide growth rings and a medium texture. Knots are common.
Working Leyland Cypress: planing, cutting and gluing
Soft and easy to cut and plane. Fast-grown wood can be fuzzy and knots may loosen. It glues and finishes without trouble.
Finishing Leyland Cypress: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes oils and stains easily. Seal it before any epoxy work, because the soft, fast-grown earlywood releases bubbles. A sanding sealer helps even out stain on the soft rings.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Reports rate it moderately durable at best, and fast-grown landscape trees are likely on the low end. Insect resistance is mixed. In Florida, use it indoors or for short-life garden projects.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Leyland cypress is the fast privacy hedge of the Southeast, and plenty of them come down when they get too big. The wood is soft and knotty, fine for rustic shelves, garden boxes and small turnings. It is not a slab wood we would build a dining table from. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Leyland Cypress
Utility lumber, garden structures, rustic shelving, turnings and firewood.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. As a garden hybrid it has no IUCN Red List assessment.
Safety and toxicity
- Skin irritation
Few reports beyond skin irritation from the dust and foliage. Basic dust control is enough for most people.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Skin irritation has been reported. Use dust collection and a mask when sanding.
Leyland Cypress in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Leyland Cypress listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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