Leylandi - What is it good for?

[PatrickM]

I was speaking to someone a while back who told me that the Leylandi was only good for cutting down and burning, in-between
a long moan about the state of his tools when working with it.

Of course I disagreed having worked with it over the years and found it has several uses - here is one.

 

[Toddy]

Nice I like that, looks useful.

If you cut the fronds and gather them keeping the cut ends downwards like a bunch of flowers, and lay these bunches in overlapping scales they make a really comfortable nest and it's not only beautifully scented it helps keep bugs away, and they aren't prickly like many pines either.
The leylandii is best laid overlapping so that any sap doesn't end up on your bivvy but it also works if you cut the branches fairly small and stuff one of the survival bags and it'll make a good mattress too. No scent this way though and it's not as warm for some reason.

There's always some dry small stuff for fires around a leylandii too

cheers,
Toddy

 

[robin wood]

Thats a real beauty...nice choice of knife too.

 

[C_Claycomb]

The wood also seems pretty rot resistant. Perhaps not in the same league as sweet chestnut, but a lot better than ash or maple. This makes it good for building structures that will have to last a while. I have used it as the treads on earthen steps in the garden and it has held up at least as well as the pressure treated stuff you can buy.

 

[addo]

Great for getting bonfires going even when green, smokes a bit tho, but that might be a good thing if u dont like your neighbours or need to be rescued from the back garden!

 

[swyn]

This is a lightweight, durable timber. Scorned by many and the base of most Tree surgeons living!

A friend has his entire kitchen, including the 12' table and dresser made from its timber. It is nicely grained as in the bowl picture.
If you can get it in big and nail free lengths it is certainly worth milling. Being light helps as it is reasonably easy to move.

It was grown here as usual to provide material for the fencing industry before the days of pressure treatment.
I still have some areas where the produce from a harvesting operation was left as waste. This was ten years ago and there is no rot in the pieces at all!

Swyn.

 

[KNC]

I've had some of that laying around for ages, and my first impression was the same as your friend's, but you've motivated me to have another go.

 

[Stew]

....and there's the bark containers you've made from it as well Patrick.

It's considered a pest but there's none around me that I can use!

 

[robin wood]

The problem with leylandi is not that the wood is poor it is that it is a very poor choice as a hedging plant which is what folk plant it as. Everyone wants a screen in 5 years so they plant it, then in 10 years its getting too big. If you cut it back gently every year you can keep it as a green hedge for a while but miss 2 years and its gone, if you cut it back you get big brown dead areas that don't regrow. Folk don't realise it grows to over a hundred feet tall, there are wonderful old specimens at Bedgebury Pinetum. It's not a good thing to put in your back garden.

Great to see some being put to such good use.

 

[andy_bell]

Someone told me that the natural curve of the lower branches lend them to the manufacture of drill bows, I tried it and they do.
thanks for the tip Patrick.

 

[Chopper]

During a complete renovation of our garden, we decided to remove nine 30' connifers, roots and all.

Until I had a brain wave (doesent happen very often).

We left three 6' trunks, to enable us to hang two hammocks.

So, yes they do have a use.

 

[John Fenna]

One of the few things I am allergic to (along with working and politicians) is the sap of these hybrid horrors!
I hate the stuff and am slowly replacing it in my hedge with native holly.

 

[cheapeats]

Seeing as the are in the same family as the cedar have you tried them for the hearth and spindle of a bow drill? In my area cedar is one of the more abundant species that work well for friction fire. Also the inner bark when shredded is good for making a tinder bundle.