6 Evergreen Shrubs for a Tall and Narrow Hedge

In smaller garden spaces, privacy is a common issue. Evergreen hedges can help to create privacy year-round. There are plenty of popular hedging plants out there to choose from. But some can become wide and unwieldy, and generally a bit bulky, very quickly.

Growing in width as well as height, their footprint can quickly begin taking up valuable real estate in your garden — not ideal in a small space! Especially if you’re trying to provide privacy on a balcony garden.

While there are some lovely shrubs to create low and small hedges, sometimes you need evergreen shrubs that are tall, but also narrow.

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Best upright evergreen shrubs to create narrow hedging

Compared to bare fences or walls, the natural texture of a hedge can help to soften the look of your garden. Not to mention the additional benefits they bring, like helping to keep your garden cool, reducing noise, and also providing an area for wildlife.

These evergreen, tall, and narrow shrubs are perfect for creating hedges in smaller spaces, providing year-round color and a slimmer profile. They’re great evergreen shrubs to grow against fences or walls too, as they need zero to minimal pruning.

Some will remain slim and tall, helping to minimize how much precious garden space they take. And others can be easily pruned, without the worry of damaging branches or leaving gaping holes.

A quick top tip… Using tall planters is a great way to easily boost the height of plants and the privacy they provide. These tall outdoor planters from Amazon can raise these tall and narrow evergreen shrubs up even higher to block out prying eyes.

1. Japanese Holly (Ilex x Meserveae)

Japanese Holly cultivars like Ilex ‘Heckenfee’ and Ilex ‘Blue Maid’ both have a narrow, upright shape with wonderfully dense foliage. In a small garden space, they’re ideal for providing narrow hedging that grows quickly.

If you’re looking for plants for a narrow low growing hedge, then Ilex cranata cultivars are a great option.

Annual growth rate: approx. 10-12 inches

Maximum height: 8-10ft

Maximum width: 3ft

2. Thuja conifers (Arborvitae)

These gorgeous conifers are loved for their golden green foliage. There are dwarf conifer varieties of Thuja and varieties for creating immense hedges, but there are also many cultivars that have a slim, upright stature.

Thuja occidentalis ‘Thin Man’

The aptly named ‘Thin Man’ is one of the most narrow and thinnest Thuja conifers. It has emerald green, ruffled foliage, and a very slim profile.

Annual growth rate: approx. 1.5-2ft

Maximum height: 15ft, Maximum width: 3-5ft

Thuja orientalis Pyramidalis Aurea

If you have slightly more space to play with, this Thuja conifer has a lovely slim shape, but a slightly wider maximum spread.

Thuja orientalis Pyramidalis Aurea has lovely, bright green ruffled foliage. New growth has a golden green color which can help to add warmth and brightness to a small garden space.

Annual growth rate: approx. 4-10 inches

Maximum height: 14ft, Maximum width: 5-6ft

Thuja occidentalis ‘Brobeck’s Tower’

‘Brobeck’s Tower’ is a slightly smaller option, reaching only about 6 feet. It forms an elegant column, with lovely textured sprays of deep green foliage.

Annual growth rate: approx. 4-6 inches

Maximum height: 6ft, Maximum width: 3ft

If you need to trim your Thuja conifer, this small electric hedge trimmer from Amazon is a good budget-friendly option.

3. Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’ 

It’s all in the name! Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’ is a beautiful, green-blue colored conifer with a slim, upright growing habit.

With a maximum height of about 2m and a width of 0.5m, it’s perfect for creating a tall and narrow hedge of dense evergreen foliage. They’re a great plant choice if you’re looking to create privacy on a balcony garden.

Like Japanese Holly, Juniper ‘Blue Arrow’ also has a quick growth rate. So it’s a great quick-growing, narrow hedging choice.

Annual growth rate: approx. 10-16 inches

Maximum height: 8ft

Maximum width: 1.5-2ft

4. Upright Cherry Laurel

With dense foliage and a narrow, columnar shape, Upright Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Genolia’) is a perfect evergreen shrub for narrow hedging.

Compared to some of the other narrow evergreen shrubs on this list, Upright Cherry Laurel has one of the fastest growth rates. Ideal for providing a fast, narrow, screening hedge in a small garden.

Each year it’ll grow about 1-2ft, so you can buy younger (and cheaper!) plants without having to wait too long before they form a tall and slim dense hedge.

Annual growth rate: approx. 1-2ft

Maximum height: 11-20ft

Maximum width: 1.5-2.5ft

5. Bamboo (Fargesia rufa) 

Bamboo is one of the fastest ways to create a tall and narrow hedge. Unlike other bamboo types, Fargesia rufa is a compact species that has a more tall and narrow profile. It’s one of the best plants to provide screening in narrow spaces, but you can also use it to create a hedge too.

Although a great option for providing quick hedging, bamboo has a bit of a reputation as an invasive, quick-growing plant when planted in soil. Over the years, new shoots will form at the base and it will eventually spread.

In small gardens, it’s usually recommended to plant your bamboo in the ground within a restrictive container that won’t break down. Or simply keep it within a container to restrict the roots.

Annual growth rate: approx. 2ft

Maximum height: 8-10ft

Maximum width: 4-5ft

6. False Cypress (Chamaecyparis)

Like Thuja and Juniper, there are False Cypress conifers (Chamaecyparis) with a dense, columnar shape. There are lots of smaller varieties, including some cute dwarf conifer varieties which are great plants for low hedging!

The Lawson’s Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) has a lovely collection of tall and narrow shrubs. These narrow false cypress varieties are tall and dense enough to provide hedging in small gardens.

While they create beautiful narrow hedging, they do have a slow growth rate (annual growth of about 1-6 inches). So if you’re looking for instant hedging, you’ll need to invest in larger (and more expensive) plants.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pinpoint’

Available in two cultivars ‘Blue’, or ‘Blue & Gold’, this conifer is loved for its feathery, dense foliage. When planted in a row its slim shape creates a lovely textured row of narrow hedging.

Maximum height: 6-8ft

Maximum width: 5-6ft.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana  ‘Ellwoodii’

A favorite of mine, ‘Ellwoodii’ is a narrow conifer with dense, silvery blue foliage. It’s a slow-growing shrub.

Maximum height: 13-20ft

Maximum width: 5-8ft.

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana  ‘Ivonne’

For brighter foliage, nothing beats the golden green tones of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana  ‘Ivonne’, especially in the depths of winter. With its columnar shape, when planted in a row it creates a beautiful and bright narrow hedge.

Maximum height: 12-20ft

Maximum width: 3-5ft.

Many of these shrubs also work well as standalone plants to fill narrow garden spaces too. Narrow Thuja and Chamaecyparis conifers can look particularly striking in borders when surrounded by low-growing plants.