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X CUPRESSOCYPARIS
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x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Castlewellan' ('Castlewellan Gold')
ht: 26 ft. in 16 years (original tree)
ha: conical to broadly ovoid
lc: bright golden yellow new growth becoming yellow-green and lime by the end of the season.
lc: It is rather green and not so bold in warmer climates.
lt: more divergent (semi-adult) type foliage than many other clones
or: Castlewellan Ireland from C. macrocarpa 'Lutea' x Chamaecyparis nootkatensis
in: European trade c. 1970
so: Forest Farm

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Clun Rectory' ('Clun')
ha: open and 'slender'
lc: dark grey green 'with some blue'
fot: plumose type
ns: Welch in The Conifer Manual says 'Clun Rectory' was based on a
ns: misunderstanding. Was it not a rectory? We have asked Mr.
ns: Welch to confirm his rejection of the earlier full name.
or: about 1900 at Clun Rectory in Shropshire UK and noticed by Mitchell
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Contorta' = 'Picturesque'

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Drabb' (1/01)

x Cupressocyparis leylandii EMERALD ISLE™ ('Moncal')
ht: 20-25 ft. tall x 6-8 ft. wide
ha: denser than 'Haggerstown Grey', having many flat sprays of foliage
lc: bright green
dr: said to be canker resistant
so: UK
in: Monrovia Nur. CA USA 1992 to US trade

'Golconda' ('Colconda') - click image
'Golconda' is a lovely rich yellow gold if given enough sun. Inner shoots are dark and contrast well. The sprays are thick, strong and bold. It is not so impressive as most Chamaecyparis lawsoniana clones but in areas where heat prevents their use and Cupressus sempervirens is slightly tender, this is a nice choice.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Golconda' ('Colconda')
ha: compact, pyramidal
lc: bright lemon yellow - best shade and distribution of gold known to date.
or: sport of 'Haggerston Grey' around 1977 by Mr. Wyant of Bedfordshire UK
in: first plants known in US collections around 1987 or 1988
rd: 197 by D.F. Wyant
rai: should replace 'Castlewellan' which is often yellow green or at
rai: best gold-tipped by summer. This is gold like Cupressus cultivars.
evMitchell: 'soon be seized by the trade as an evident money-spinner'.
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.
in: known in US collections since about 1986.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold Cup'
lc: bright yellow new growth, said to hold color in NZ winters

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold Dust' = 'Silver Dust'

x Cupressocyparis leylandii GOLD MEDAL ('Peter Nitschke')
ha: erect, dense, soft to touch. First order branchlets have short internodes. Less conical than
ha: 'Castlewellan'. Has more a planar or flat plane look than 'Castlewellan'
lc: yellow becoming yellow-green
ns: GOLD MEDAL is apparently a trademark name since 'Peter Nitschke' is published as the cultivar
ns: name.
or: selected from population of 'Castlewellan'
li: Koelewyn, J. and Nitschke, P. 1992. Plant Varieties Journal 5(2): 10-11

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold Nugget'
ha: compact, pyramidal
lc: golden yellow
eval: Dirr states that 'Gold Rider' is superior

'Gold Rider' - click image
Hampton Roads Arboretum, VA USA. Summer 2003. These bright, glowing and feathery plants immediately appealed to us. One can instantly see
how the much greener and less finely feathered gold clones of the past quickly pale in comparison. It is certainly the most proven gold clone in
southeastern US trials (2004) though we have yet to grow everything known in Europe in rigorous, side-by-side trials.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold Rider'
ha: columnar with shoots in flat planes unlike 'Castlewellan'. Can grow 2 feet at year.
ha: it is far more feathery and interesting than 'Castlewellan'.
lc: bright yellow, darkening into gold.
or: sport of 'Leighton Green' found in Holland
in: Dutch trade c. 1986 by Vergeer of Boskoop
eval: experts from van Gelderen to Dirr consider the best of the gold cultivars to date (2001)
so: Forest Farm

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Golden Sun'
ha: semi-dwarf and bushy unlike most other gold clones
fot: plumose
lc: bright gold
or: sport of 'Haggerston Grey' at Barnham Nurseries in Sussex UK about 1966
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Goldness'
lc: green with some shoots mottled yellow
rd: 1976 by S.G. McMinn
in: Ness Nur. of Londonderry N. Ireland
li: Welch, H.J. 1990. The conifer manual. Kluwer Press. p. 284.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold River'
ha: open and horizontal unlike most others which are narrower
lc: bright yellow
or: found in Boskoop Netherlands
li: Van der Laar. 1985. Dendroflora 22: 73.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Gold Way'
ns: a listed name with the Anthoine Arboretum 2000.

'Green Spire' - click image
US National Arboretum. Summer 2002. One of the older examples of this cultivar that is virtually unknown in US gardens. It has little to offer over 'Haggerston Grey'
and the newer stuff.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Green Spire'
ha: narrowly columnar, very dense sometimes with branchlets at irregular angles. Central leader
ha: may not develop strongly.
lc: bright green
or: Haggerstyon Castle UK and known as "Clone 1"
eval: in the US at least 'Leighton Green' has got much more attention among green clones.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Haggerston Grey' ('Haggerstown Grey')
ha: columnar to broadly ovoid with foliage is distinct flat planes. Lateral branchlets can be
ha: very irregular and turned at an angle. Looser overall than 'Leighton Green'.
lc: grey-green to faintly blue-green - 'Leighton Green' is much greener side by side.
eval: this is the most popular clone in the US and millions of plants sold as the species
eval: are of this clone. It is unfortunately very prone to bag worms if stressed by drought, too
eval: shade, and/or clay soils. Plants can easily defoliage 20-50% by late summer if not treated.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Harlequin'
ha: mutiple leaders or at least more so than 'Silver Dust'
lc: as 'Haggerston Grey' but mottled clear more ivory shade than
lc: 'Silver Dust' and more evenly distributed chimeral zones
fot: shoots more sparse than 'Silver Dust' which is often densely formed
or: sport of 'Haggerston Grey' around 1975 by Lord Bradford in UK
eval: Dirr considers 'Silver Dust' to be the more appealing of the two.
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii HERCULEA® 'Miniver' (10/01)
ht: 1.5-2.0 m in just 5 years
ha: densely ovoid, highly vigorous
lc: blue-green, resembling C. lawsoniana according to photos we have seen.
lu: suitable for large hedge or windbreak
or: believed to come from INRA in France (?)

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Hillspire'
ha: narrowly pyramidal
lc: bright green
li: Iseli Nur. Catalog 1989
ns: Dirr says he has not seen and neither have anyone we know. There is a juniper called
ns: 'Hillspire' but the Iseli folks are far too expert to make that mistake. Dirr wonders if it
ns: might be 'Green Spire'. The 'Hillspire' name would suggest a connection with D.Hill Nursery.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Hyde Hall'
ht: 2-4 ft. tall after many years. Plants to 6 ft tall are known.
ha: dwarf and conical to globose something like a smaller Chamaecyparis lawsonaian 'Erecta'
lc: bright pale green
fot: 100% juvenile unlike all other clones
rai: considered inferior to juvenile Chamaecyparis and Thuja in most cases
ch: subject to winter damage more easily
rd: by R.H.M. Robinson in 1976
eval: juvenile cultivars of Chamaecyparis thyoides are more durable in most US areas.
li: Welch, H.J. 1990. The conifer manual. Kluwer Press. p. 286

IRISH MINT™ - click image

x Cupressocyparis leylandii IRISH MINT™
lc: light yellowish-green but not quite the mint green of other plants.
eval: Dirr says a "superior root system" is claimed
id: it resembles a less yellow version of 'Castlewellan' and has similar leaf divergence.
in: Flowerwood Nursery before 1999.
so: source (Plants By Mail)

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Jubilee'
lc: grey-green mottled in yellow but not as brightly as 'Silver Dust' nor as appealing.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Leighton Green'
ha: columnar to narrowly pyramidal, usually with a single leader.
frq: cone production is not uncommon on rather old trees
lc: bright green - not nearly so greyish as 'Haggerston Grey'
or: UK c. 1911 as "Clone 11".

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'McCracken's Variegated' (12/02)
lc: irregularly mottled light yellow in sectors, many shoots all green. See photo above.
or: Pat McCracken, Raleigh, NC. It appears to be a sport of 'Haggerstown Grey' or 'Leighton Green'
lsp: known from a speciman at the Raulston Arboretum about 10 feet tall in 2002

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Medownia'
ns: a listed name in the RHS PLANT FINDER 1998.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Michellii'
ns: a listed name in the RHS PLANT FINDER 1998. Latin form is almost certainly not valid.

'Naylor's Blue' - click image
Hampton Roads Arboretum. Summer 2003. Virtually all the very old Leylands in the US are 'Haggerston Grey' and so the sight of a nice, fat
and happy 'Naylor's Blue' is a rare event - usually one located in a serious woody plant collection.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Naylor's Blue'
ha: columnar, considerably less formal and more open than 'Haggerston Grey'. It is less
ha: narrow than 'Haggerston Grey'. Unfortunately it is slower than many clones so a good
ha: hedge or it takes more time to develop.
lc: distinctly blue-green to grey-blue, often best when planted with a greener cultivar for
lc: some contrast. It is probably the best blue cultivar of this species but given the
lc: lovely blue colors available in Chamaecyparis lawsoniana it is not always used - unless
lc: that species is not adaptable (ie. Southeast US)
or: Clone 10 from the original 1911 selections in the UK
so: Forest Farm

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'New Ornament'
ha: irregular, contorted somewhat like 'Picturesque' ('Contorta') but believed to be different
ns: the name is very unfortunate since the major pest bagworm looks like hanging ornaments
ns: on this species.
or: Konijn, Netherlands
li: Dirr, M.A. 1998. Manual of Woody Land. Plts. Stipes. p. 306

'Picturesque' ('Contorta') - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. December 2003. This may be the oldest example in the eastern US. It looks like nothing more than a more
irregular and umkempt 'Haggerston Grey' and thus without much merit for landscaping.

'Picturesque' ('Contorta') - click image
This is a zoom in on the tall tree above, showing better the contortions in the canopy. Only the apex of old plants is very impressive. Young
plants in nurseries are often sharply twisted but they quickly more more regular and less remarkable.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Picturesque' ('Contorta')
ha: broadly upright shrub with twisted new growth that later straightens, overall a more irregular 'Haggerston Grey' sort. Occasional shoots
ha: will loop or get knotted with some owners helping things along to aid in the curious appeal.
lc: bright green
ns: the plant has circulated under the name 'Contorta' which doubtless
ns: arose many years after 1959, the year that marked the end to Latin cultivar names.
eval: comparison with 'New Ornament' is worth a try.
or: Mitsch Nursery, OR USA c. 1980 per RHS checklist. Jacobsen (1996) puts it as far back as 1972-3 and given his
or: careful research, we will favor this second report. Almost certainly a sport of 'Haggerston Grey' which is closely resembles.
li: Porterhowse Farms 1998 Catalog: 15.
so: Forest Farm under 'Contorta'

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Robinson's Gold'
ht: 25 ft. tall x 10 ft. wide in 20 years (original tree)
ha: conical to broadly columnar, dense, but vigorous reminding one of a yellow 'Leighton Green'
lc: bright yellow to yellow-bronze becoming dark yellow
or: George Robinson, Belvoir Park, Belfast, N. Ireland as seedling in 1962

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Rostrevor'
ha: more vigorous than 'Leighton Green'
lc: green much like 'Leighton Green'
fot: laterals wider spaced than 'Leighton Green' which is otherwise similar
fot: leaders more 'diamond shaped' than very similar 'Leighton Green'
or: seedling at Rostrevor UK known since 1908 but probably back to 1870?
in: planted in 1949 at Castlewellan where it became widely noticed
hp: possibly a 'reverse cross' of the original cross
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Rua'
so: source (Cedar Lodge Nursery)

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Silver Dust'
ha: conical to broadly columnar, only a little slower than other cultivars
lc: grey-green with generous mottling of white. On well-selected stock it can be 30-45% of the
lc: surface but mature plants may show as 20% white. It is best viewed up close (5-15') as it
lc: becomes something of a grey or silver haze beyond that range. Good fertilization will make
lc: the base caller darker for added contrast but it may decrease the amount of white too.
frc: cones are always full of white chimera!
prop: Dirr reports it rooting "faster and in higher percentages" than other cultivars
or: US National Arboretum as sport of 'Leighton Green'. Dirr and others suggest this origin does
or: need seem to fit and indeed the bluer base color is more like 'Haggerston Grey'. And since
or: it's ability to be rooted as quite opposite that of 'Leighton Green' we have another clue that
or: it may not come from that clone unless quite a few things mutated along with the foliage.
so: Forest Farm

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Sparkler'
lc: new growth cream-colored becoming glaucous-green with faint mottling.
ns: this clone has been withdrawn from production as it proved unstable
ns: and more of a curiousity item than a true ornamental. It was
ns: initially thought to be a herbicide-induced variegation but
ns: five plants maintained the coloration (unsprayed) for a period
ns: exceedling two years.
in: not introduced to the trade.
or: sport found by Laurence C. Hatch among an old planting of 'Haggerston Grey'
or: at the NC State Univ. Arboretum c. 1985

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Spring Gold' ('Smith's Gold')
lc: yellow
or: sport of 'Haggerston Grey' at Pickering UK by Stephen Smith about 1974
li: Mitchell, A. 1985. Clones of Leyland cypress. Int. Dendr. Soc. Year.
li: 1985: 97-100.

x Cupressocyparis leylandii 'Stapehill' ('Stapehill Hybrid', 'Stapehill 21')
ht: 50 ft. tall in 40 years
st: yellowish-green becoming orangeish-brown with maturity
lc: dark blue-green
lt: thicker foliage than some clones
or: Barthelemy Nursery, Stapehill, Dorset, England in 1940. There is also a clone 20 that is
or: not regarded as worth introduction.

ovensii - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Summer 2002. Why try a hybrid with less density than the established clones of the Leyland parentage? For one thing this hybrid species in
the typical clone is much grayer than most of them. Contrast with green hedge material can be wonderful. There is something different about the open, horizontal look
of this species that appeals. They do "dense up" in time so a well grown hedge is still worth one's space. This species does favor the Chamaecyparis side of the
genetics and that is never all bad.