Scientific Name: Cupressus leylandii
Family: Cupressaceae (cypress family)

Overview: The most popular Christmas tree in the southeastern United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Its leaves are scale-like and therefore similar to the Arizona cypress and red-cedar; however, unlike these species its branches occur as flattened, fan-like sprays which many find very attractive.

Fun Facts: Commonly cultivated as an ornamental, particularly in rows as a living privacy fence.

Etymology: This cypress is actually a sterile hybrid between the Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) from California and the Nootka or Alaskan cypress (Cupressus nootkatensis) from British Columbia and Alaska. It is named for the Leyland family, who developed the hybrid and its earlier cultivated varieties on their estates in Great Britain over several decades spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The genus name, Cupressus, is the Latin name for cypress, whereas the specific epithet, leylandii, literally means "Leyland's," thereby honoring the developers of this hybrid.