Privacy Screening - Avoid Using Leyland Cypress

(Pictured-- Leyland cypress screen)
'Green Giant' arborvitae and Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) have proven more dependable over the years than Leyland cypress across Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Leyland cypress is susceptible to three serious foliar diseases.
Some people love the faster growth of Leyland cypress. Leyland cypress may be weak-wooded, as reported by some gardeners this current frigid winter. Fast growing species tend to be weak-wooded. This may be the problem with the heavy snow and high wind storms this past winter.
Ask yourself "do you really need to construct a 50-60 foot green wall so you can hide from the sight and noise of your neighbors". A 10 to 12 foot screen is usually what most people need.
I would sway you to choosing a shorter and slower growing needle evergreen like Emerald™ arborvitae, any tall-growing evergreen holly (Ilex spp.) or an evergreen flowering shrub like Pragense viburnum.

Planting Leyland Cypress May Be a "Big" Mistake

If you live in USDA Plant Zone 6-b - 7, planting leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) could eventually turn into a maintenance diseaster in your landscape. Leyland cypress is a green behemoth, too fast and aggressive for most folks to handle. Ask yourself, "do you really need a 60-70 foot evergreen privacy screen around your property?" If neighbors can't view in, you can't see out.

Many gardeners make the mistake of planting leyland cypress only 6-8 foot apart. Leyland demands a wider 16-18 foot spacing. Unfortunately, leyland is also susceptible to 3 fungal needle blight diseases. Diseases usually don't infect until shrubs are 10 years and older. There are no practical cures (pesticides) for these diseases. Over time the shrubs may need to be removed at a considerable cost to you.

If you must grow tall screens or hedges, I recommend the more dependable Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) or Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja x plicata). In the 20-25 foot height category, plant Nellie R. Stevens holly, Foster#2 holly and Emerald arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd').

Some great evergreen choices in the 10-15 foot range are leatherleaf viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum), skip laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis') and 'Hick's Yew (Taxus x media 'Hicksii').