Leyland cypress X Cupressocyparis leylandii

A hybrid of two North American parents, the Leyland cypress is one of the most commonly planted trees in Britain. Its ability to grow quickly and ensure privacy has made it a favourite of suburban gardeners but it has also been the root cause of thousands of disputes, which in one case led to murder.

The Leyland cypress, more often referred to as simply leylandii, is a hybrid between the Nootka cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis) and the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa), both natives of the North American west coast. These evergreen conifers are found in the mountains of California and Oregon, while the hybrid was first grown in the slightly less glamorous setting of Northumbria in the north of England.

The tree is named after CJ Leyland who was the brother-in-law of the owner of the estate where the hybrid was developed in 1888. Like many hybrids, leylandii is sterile, as its parents are too genetically dissimilar for it to produce its own seeds. On the plus side, it is less likely to be affected by disease and in this case grows more quickly than either the Nootka or Monterey cypress.

The fast-growing nature of leylandii quickly proved popular with town planners who used its height and ability to absorb noise to conceal the presence of roads and railways. When planted in a row, they can soon form a formidable hedge. However, it was when the tree became a common feature of the suburban garden that its reputation began to precede it.

Since the 1970s, 'hedge wars' have been waged between people who on one side wanted to retain their privacy, while those on the other wanted access to sunlight. As leylandii can grow as much as one and a half metres in a year and trimming a neighbour's tree can be deemed criminal damage, it is easy to see how trouble can escalate. Court cases and threats of violence are commonplace and in one case, in Wales, someone was murdered over a long-running dispute.