I don't know where you are. In the west, you can plant California incense
cedar, which also gets tall, but is slower growing than leyland cypress -
something like a taller, prettier arborvitae - and one which doesn't get
bent out of shape by snow storms. I'm not sure how well it grows in the
east, if at all. Various types of Chaemacyperis are also pretty and can
work as hedges - and different cultivars come in different heights, from 100
ft down to 10 feet. You might also consider a single tree that is more
spreading - such as a deodar cedar. It would screen without being so dense.
"Lecher9000" wrote in message
...
Thanks for the replies. I'm still considering the LEyland, but am looking
at
blue spruce too, but the Blue S's are more expensive.

I am getting conflicting info (as I always do when researching
anything) about the height of the mature "green" Leyland Cypress. I
usually
see 40 to 60 on the label on the tree, but yesterday I saw a label
indicating
20 to 30, or 30 to 40, for a "green" LC. Actually, 30 to 40 would be
preferable, for me.

As far as environment for my prospective LC's. they would be 8 to 10
feet
apart (getting conflicting advice about how far apart to plant, whether
tree-touching-tree is / is not a problem). They would be in full sun, and
would
be screening out a commercial nursery (how ironic, eh ?). The "nursery"
land
is used as a dump for the nursery owner's road paving business !! These
trees
will shade his property. The only view I will be "ruining" for the other
neighbors will be their view of the dump, and, if the trees grow tall
enough,
their view of the horizon above the dump. I and my neighbors are in
3-story
townhomes, so we have a bird's eye view of the dump, at this point.

I heard from a (different) local nursery that a lot of mature LC's
were
broken off during last winter here in Pa.

Yes , we have bagworms here too, so that will be a concern.

Decisions, decisions.... leaning towards planting the 40 to 60 ft "green"
Leylands, and watching them grow, hoping for the best.