J C Raulston and the Leyland cypress

I chose a Leyland cypress to screen a downspout from view not just because it was on sale but so we can talk about J C Raulston when we are in the garden and teach students words like ubiquitous and irony and the importance of diversity. How ironic that one of his introductions became ubiquitous! This tall narrow tree (Cuprocyparis leylandii) has been used commonly as a screen mainly due to its introduction as a screen at the arboretum Raulston established on the campus at North Carolina state university in 1976. Later the arboretum would be renamed the J. C. Raulston Arboretum. He realized we used the same plants over and over again and many fascinating plants were not available at nurseries. At the North Carolina State University Arboretum that this Oklahoma native (OSU graduate) was directing he was able to introduce many new plants to the nursery trade and therefore to gardeners. He allowed nursery owners to take cuttings from any of the arboretums plants and encouraged propagation of many plants that were not available to the home gardener. The irony is that the Leyland cypress was quickly overused and due to that was often destroyed by diseases that found it easy to move from tree to tree. But Dr. Raulston who kept introducing new plants until he died in a car accident at age 56 had other plants to suggest by the time the Leyland cypress became so common that disease could spread easily through the community. His generosity energy and passion for diversity are why we can have so many different plants available at local nurseries today.


JC Raulston Arboretum - J. C. Raulston