Gold Rider Cypress

Botanical Name: Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Gold Rider’

Common Name: Gold Rider Cypress

Mature Height and Width:
30–40' tall × 10–15' wide

Growth Habit: Broad pyramidal evergreen with strong central leader and layered lateral branching. Wider and more substantial than narrow columnar conifers. Fast growth rate. Maintains a full lower canopy when properly spaced.

Foliage Description: Flattened sprays of golden-yellow to chartreuse foliage; outer growth brighter gold, interior slightly deeper green-gold. Texture moderately fine but denser and heavier than arborvitae.

Flower Description: Inconspicuous; small cones typical of Leyland cypress.

Bloom Time: Not applicable

Fall Color: Evergreen; retains golden coloration year-round with slight tonal shift in colder months.

Light Requirements: Full sun for strongest gold coloration and dense structure. Partial shade may reduce intensity.

Hardiness Zone: USDA Zones 6–10

Notable Landscape Uses:
Large-scale screening; windbreak rows; property line privacy; estate-scale evergreen massing; background buffer planting.

Deer Resistance: Moderate-High
Leyland types may experience browsing when young in Zones 6–7, though mature trees are less frequently damaged.