Best Tall Narrow Shrubs for Screening and Privacy

Tall narrow shrubs give you privacy without swallowing your yard. A standard arborvitae or holly can spread 10-15 feet wide, which is fine on a 2-acre lot but a disaster on a 50-foot-wide suburban property. The shrubs on this list grow 8-25 feet tall while staying 2-5 feet wide. Plant them along a fence line, between houses, or anywhere you need a green wall that doesn’t require you to sacrifice half your usable space.

I’ve tested most of these in my zone 9 yard in the Sacramento Valley. A few I’ve watched perform in neighbors’ yards over the last two decades. Every recommendation here comes from what I’ve seen work in real residential settings, not what a nursery catalog promises.

What makes a shrub “narrow”

A truly narrow shrub has a columnar or fastigiate growth habit, meaning its branches grow upward rather than outward. Some shrubs are naturally columnar. Others need regular shearing to stay tight, which means more work for you. I’ve noted which is which for every species below.

The Morton Arboretum defines columnar plants as those with a width-to-height ratio under 1:3. A shrub that grows 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide qualifies. One that grows 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide does not, even though nurseries sometimes label it “narrow.”

If you’re looking for taller options that are technically trees rather than shrubs, our guide to columnar evergreen trees covers species that grow 20-60 feet tall while staying under 8 feet wide.

Sky Pencil Holly

Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’) is the narrowest shrub you can buy. It grows 6-10 feet tall and only 2-3 feet wide without any pruning at all. The growth habit is almost unnaturally tight, like someone drew a vertical line and told the plant to follow it.

Hardy in zones 5-9. Grows about 6-12 inches per year in full sun to part shade. Prefers acidic, well-drained soil. The glossy dark green leaves are small and dense, giving it a refined look that works well in formal plantings or flanking an entryway.

The downside: Sky Pencil Holly doesn’t handle heavy snow loads. The tight upright branches can splay open under wet snow, and once they spread they don’t snap back. If you’re in a zone that gets heavy snowfall, tie the branches loosely with garden twine before winter or skip this one entirely.

Cost: $30-60 for a 3-gallon container. Plan on $45-80 for a 5-gallon.

Emerald Green Arborvitae

Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) is probably the most popular narrow screening plant in America, and for good reason. It grows 12-15 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide with a naturally tight pyramidal shape. No shearing required to keep it narrow.

Hardy in zones 2-7. Growth rate is moderate at about 6-9 inches per year. It handles cold well, stays green through winter (unlike some arborvitae that bronze), and needs minimal maintenance once established. Full sun is best, but it tolerates light afternoon shade.

I’ve written a full Emerald Green Arborvitae guide if you want the deep dive on spacing, disease prevention, and deer management. The short version: plant them 3-4 feet apart for a continuous screen. Closer spacing fills in faster but creates airflow problems that invite fungal disease.

Cost: $25-50 for a 3-gallon, $60-120 for a 5-7 gallon.

Italian Cypress

Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is the classic Mediterranean column. It grows 40-60 feet tall and only 3-5 feet wide. That extreme height-to-width ratio gives it an architectural look that nothing else replicates.

Hardy in zones 7-11. This is a warm-climate plant. It’s drought tolerant once established, salt tolerant, and handles heat well. It does not tolerate wet feet or prolonged freezing. If your soil stays soggy in winter, Italian Cypress will die. NC State Extension notes it should not be pruned to maintain its columnar habit, making it genuinely low maintenance.

Best for: property lines, driveways, Mediterranean-style landscapes. Plant 5-6 feet apart for a tall, dramatic screen. In zone 9, these grow fast, putting on 2-3 feet per year when young.

Cost: $40-80 for a 5-gallon. Larger specimens (6-8 feet tall) run $100-200.

Fine Line Buckthorn

Fine Line Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula ‘Ron Williams’) is a columnar cultivar that grows 5-7 feet tall and only 2-3 feet wide. The fine-textured foliage looks almost fern-like, which gives it a softer appearance than most screening shrubs.

Hardy in zones 2-7. Full sun to part shade. This one handles cold extremely well, making it a good pick for northern gardens where Italian Cypress would freeze. Moderate growth rate of about 12 inches per year.

One important note: the straight species of glossy buckthorn is invasive in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Fine Line is a non-fruiting male cultivar selected specifically because it doesn’t produce the berries that spread invasively. Check your local extension office to confirm it’s legal to plant in your state. Minnesota banned the straight species but allows sterile cultivars.

Cost: $35-55 for a 3-gallon.

Blue Arrow Juniper

Blue Arrow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’) grows 12-15 feet tall and only 2-3 feet wide. The silvery blue foliage stands out against darker green backgrounds. It’s one of the tightest columnar junipers available.

Hardy in zones 4-9. Drought tolerant once established. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. This juniper hates wet clay soil, so if your drainage is poor, skip it. Growth rate is moderate at about 12-18 inches per year.

Blue Arrow stays narrow naturally without pruning. In my neighborhood, several of these line a property boundary between two houses spaced only 12 feet apart, and after ten years they still haven’t become a problem. If you need something similar but wider for faster coverage, our privacy shrubs and hedges guide compares growth rates side by side.

Cost: $40-70 for a 5-gallon.

Dee Runk Boxwood

Dee Runk Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Dee Runk’) grows 8-10 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. It’s a boxwood with a columnar habit instead of the usual mounded shape. Dense, dark green, evergreen foliage year-round.

Hardy in zones 5-8. Grows slowly at about 4-6 inches per year, so plan for a 5-7 year wait before it reaches screening height. The payoff is a formal look that requires almost no shearing. Plant in full sun to part shade with good drainage.

This is the pick for formal gardens, courtyard entries, or anywhere you want a classic, structured look without the width of traditional boxwood hedges. At $50-80 per plant, the cost adds up if you need a long row, but the minimal maintenance offsets that over time.

Japanese Holly ‘Steeds’

Steeds Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Steeds’) grows 6-8 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide with an upright, pyramidal habit. Dense branching provides effective screening down to ground level, something that many columnar shrubs lack because they tend to thin out at the base.

Hardy in zones 5-8. Tolerates shade better than most screening shrubs, making it useful for north-facing walls or between buildings. Moderate growth rate. Handles pruning well if you want to keep it even tighter.

Like all Japanese hollies, it prefers acidic soil (pH 5.0-6.5). If your soil is alkaline, amend with sulfur or choose a different species. A soil test from your county extension office costs $15-30 and tells you exactly where you stand.

Techny Arborvitae

Techny Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’) is wider than Emerald Green at 4-6 feet, but it fills in faster and handles shade better. It grows 10-15 feet tall and maintains good density even in partial shade, where many arborvitae thin out.

Hardy in zones 2-8. Growth rate is 6-12 inches per year. Dark green foliage that doesn’t bronze in winter. This is the cold-climate workhorse for areas where Emerald Green struggles with winter damage.

If you want to compare Techny against other arborvitae options, the Green Giant Arborvitae guide covers the fastest-growing option in the family. Green Giant is much larger (40-60 feet) but grows 3-5 feet per year in zones 5-8.

Cost: $30-55 for a 5-gallon.

Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’

Osmanthus (Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’) grows 6-8 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide. The holly-like leaves emerge pink, mature to a green-and-white variegated pattern, and the plant produces small, fragrant white flowers in fall. It’s one of the few screening shrubs that smells good.

Hardy in zones 7-9. Moderate growth rate. Full sun to part shade. Osmanthus handles heat and humidity well, making it a solid choice for the Southeast and California. Deer resistant.

The fragrance alone sets this apart. Most screening shrubs are purely functional. Osmanthus planted near a patio or walkway adds a layer of fall fragrance that your family will actually notice and appreciate.

Cost: $35-60 for a 3-gallon.

How to space narrow shrubs for screening

Clemson HGIC recommends spacing based on the mature width of the shrub, not the width at planting. Plant shrubs with their centers spaced at 75-100% of the mature width apart for a continuous screen:

• 2-3 foot wide shrubs (Sky Pencil, Blue Arrow, Fine Line): space 2-3 feet apart
• 3-4 foot wide shrubs (Emerald Green, Steeds Holly): space 3-4 feet apart
• 4-6 foot wide shrubs (Techny, Osmanthus): space 4-5 feet apart

Closer spacing fills in faster but increases competition for water and nutrients. It also reduces airflow, which invites fungal problems. I plant at 80% of mature width and accept the 2-3 year wait for full fill-in. The plants are healthier long term.

Clemson also recommends against monoculture screens (planting one species in a single row). If disease or insects hit, you lose the entire screen at once. Mix two or three compatible species in staggered rows for resilience. For a deep dive on keeping your hedge in shape, our hedge trimming guide covers timing and technique.

How to plant and establish screening shrubs

Dig the planting hole two to five times wider than the root ball and only as deep. Clemson Extension emphasizes that the topmost roots should sit at or slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep is the most common cause of shrub failure.

Backfill with native soil, not amended potting mix. Amended backfill creates a “bathtub effect” where water collects around the root ball instead of draining into native soil. The roots circle inside the amended zone instead of growing outward.

Apply 3 inches of organic mulch from 3 inches off the trunk out to the drip line. Water deeply every 2-3 days for the first month, then weekly through the first growing season. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, a shrub is established when new roots have grown into surrounding soil, typically 20-28 weeks after planting. For a detailed planting walkthrough, see our tree planting guide.

How to keep narrow shrubs narrow

Not all of these shrubs need pruning to stay columnar, but some do. Penn State Extension recommends thinning cuts over shearing for long-term health. Shearing creates a dense shell of growth on the outside that blocks sunlight from interior branches, causing them to die back.

The key rule for formal hedges: trim so the base is wider than the top. A hedge that’s wider at the top shades out the bottom, creating bare legs. Shape hedges like a slight “A” or rounded top for even light distribution. Shear in early spring before new growth hardens, with an optional light trim in midsummer.

If your hedge has already gotten leggy at the base, it’s often too late for broadleaf evergreens. Conifers like arborvitae generally don’t regrow from old wood. Prevention is everything. Our trimming guide has species-by-species timing charts that help you stay on schedule.

For tips on how your landscaping choices can add real property value to your home, that guide covers which improvements pay for themselves at resale.

Frequently asked questions

What is the narrowest shrub for a tight space? Sky Pencil Holly at 2-3 feet wide is the narrowest commonly available screening shrub. Blue Arrow Juniper is a close second at 2-3 feet. Both maintain their narrow profile without pruning.

How fast do narrow shrubs grow? Growth rates vary widely. Italian Cypress grows 2-3 feet per year. Sky Pencil Holly grows 6-12 inches per year. Most columnar shrubs on this list grow 6-18 inches annually. If you need height fast, Italian Cypress (warm climates) or Green Giant Arborvitae (cold climates) are your best bets.

Do narrow shrubs need pruning to stay skinny? Naturally columnar varieties (Sky Pencil, Blue Arrow, Italian Cypress, Fine Line) maintain their narrow shape without pruning. Arborvitae cultivars (Emerald Green, Techny) stay fairly tight but benefit from light annual shearing to keep the shape crisp. Boxwood and holly respond well to shearing but don’t require it.

Can I plant narrow shrubs in a row along my fence? Yes, and this is the most common use. Space them at 75-100% of their mature width for a continuous screen. Plant at least 2 feet from the fence so you can access the back side for maintenance. Check your local setback requirements, as most municipalities require shrubs to be planted at least 2-3 feet from the property line.

Which tall narrow shrubs are deer resistant? Blue Arrow Juniper, Sky Pencil Holly, Osmanthus, and Italian Cypress are all reported as deer resistant by university extension services. Arborvitae, unfortunately, is candy for deer. If deer are a problem in your area, avoid all Thuja species or plan on deer netting through winter.