Not every garden has enough space for a lush, rampant hedge. So that you can plant a privacy screen despite the lack of space, we present 23 hedge plants that grow narrow and high.
In a nutshell
- large selection of hedge plants for sun and shade
- deciduous as well as evergreen species
- Flower hedges particularly attractive
- high pruning tolerance ensures growth restriction
- variegated varieties are often more sun-loving and sensitive to cold
Deciduous hedge plants
Kinds of A - R
Green barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
Berberis thunbergii
The undemanding barberry is an excellent hedge plant, which also adorns itself with magical flowers in May. In autumn, the fresh green leaves turn deep red.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: upright, many shoots
- Growth height: up to 250 centimeters
- Growth width: 60 to 220 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 35 centimeters per year
Japanese cherry 'Amanogawa' (Prunus serrulata 'Amanogawa')
Source: Björn S… , Japanese Cherry - Prunus serrulata (41663811531), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
In April, the Japanese cherry blossoms inspire with a fragrant, pink sea of blossoms, which provide bees and other insects with valuable food.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: columnar
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth width: 100 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 50 centimeters per year
Oval-leaved privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium)
Source: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., Ligustrum ovalifolium, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
This uncomplicated species of privet grows quite tall and stays green throughout the winter if the weather is favourable.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: upright, bushy
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth width: 150 to 300 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 30 centimeters per year
Pyramid hornbeam (Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata')
Carpinus betulus, hornbeam
Hornbeams or hornbeams are the right choice for planting beech hedges.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: columnar to pyramidal
- Height of growth: free-standing up to 20 meters
- Growth width: four to five meters
- Growth rate: 10 to 30 centimeters per year
Red barberry 'Atropurpurea' (Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea')
This very densely growing hedge plant not only shows beautiful, dark red foliage, but is also very robust and adaptable.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: upright, slightly overhanging
- Growth height: up to three meters
- Growth width: up to two meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 40 centimeters per year
Tip: Barberries are valuable for bees and offer birds protective hiding places for breeding.
Types from S - Z
Columnar pear 'Obelisk' (Amelanchier alnifolia 'Obelisk')
Just right for a loose hedge of native wild shrubs are service pears like this variety, which even come up with edible fruits.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: stiffly upright, columnar
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth width: 100 to 175 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 40 centimeters per year
Hornbeam 'Monument' (Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata Monument')
This hornbeam species grows particularly compact and dense, and is also undemanding in terms of location.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: compact, stocky, densely branched
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Growth width: 100 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 30 to 40 centimeters per year
Notice: Between April and May, the hornbeam shows numerous yellowish-green, woolly catkins.
Columnar hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna 'Stricta')
In contrast to the original species, this variety of the native hawthorn grows very narrow. The flowering period in May attracts numerous insects, and the native wild shrub also offers protection for birds.
- Location: sunny to off-sun
- Growth: columnar, dense
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Growth width: two to three meters
- Growth rate: 20 to 25 centimeters per year
Black-green privet 'Atrovirens' (Ligustrum vulgare 'Atrovirens')
Privet is an ideal hedge plant, as it tolerates pruning very well and is robust. The plant tolerates both sun and full shade and is very undemanding.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: tightly upright
- Height of growth: up to four meters
- Growth width: up to four meters
- Growth rate: 40 to 100 centimeters per year
Shrub maple 'Phoenix' (Acer conspicuum 'Phoenix')
The shrubby maple species with the bright red bark is very tolerant of pruning and is therefore well suited for hedge planting.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: bushy, upright
- Height of growth: up to four meters
- Growth width: 100 to 200 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 40 centimeters per year
Ornamental currant (Ribes sanguineum 'Pulborough Scarlet')
Ornamental currants are strong and fast-growing hedge plants, which also bloom lavishly from April to May.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: shrubby
- Growth height: up to 250 centimeters
- Growth width: 100 to 200 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 30 centimeters per year
Evergreen hedge plants
Kinds of A - R
Blue cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Glauca')
This hedge plant impresses with its bluish, very dense needles that shine beautifully in the sun.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: columnar, closed, opaque early on
- Growth height: up to ten meters
- Growth width: 100 to 200 centimeters
- Growth rate: 5 to 20 centimeters per year
Fruiting cup yew (Taxus media 'Hicksii')
Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Taxus x media Hicksii 5zz, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
This yew variety, which thrives on fresh to moist soil, is ideal for any hedge that needs to be high and narrow.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: columnar to broadly upright
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth width: two to four meters
- Growth rate: 10 to 15 centimeters per year
Notice: This yew develops a large number of red fruits, which are poisonous and therefore not suitable for consumption.
Yellow columnar yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aureomarginata')
The variety, also known as the gold columnar yew, has all the advantages of the native yew, but delights with its unusual golden yellow to greenish-yellow needles.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: narrow, upright
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Growth width: 100 to 250 centimeters
- Growth rate: 5 to 10 centimeters per year
Notice: Like all yews, all parts of this variety - bark, leaves, shoots and fruits - are highly toxic.
Arborvitae 'Columna' (Thuja occidentalis 'Columna')
This dense and bushy tree of life variety is one of the most popular hedge plants.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: narrow, ascending
- Growth height: up to eight meters
- Growth width: 80 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 20 centimeters per year
Arborvitae 'Smaragd' (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd')
The easy-care Thuja 'Smaragd' scores with dense growth and fresh green needles.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: narrow conical
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Growth width: 70 to 180 centimeters
- Growth rate: 10 to 30 centimeters per year
Types from S - Z
Column yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata')
This yew tree remains columnar even in old age, is very robust and densely growing.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: columnar
- Growth height: up to eight meters
- Growth width: 150 to 200 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 25 centimeters per year
Column cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Columnaris')
This columnar growing false cypress is one of the most popular hedge plants. It forms a dense screen of bluish needles.
- Location: sunny to shady
- Growth: compact, upright
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Growth width: 100 to 175 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 20 centimeters per year
Column cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii')
The columnar cypress is uncomplicated, undemanding and also tolerates urban climates and problematic weather. It grows very dense.
- Location: sunny to shady, tolerates a lot of shade
- Growth: columnar to conical
- Height of growth: up to four meters
- Growth width: 60 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 5 to 20 centimeters per year
Narrow columnar yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Robusta')
This variety of the native yew scores with robustness, undemanding and a very dense growth.
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Growth: cigar-shaped
- Growth height: up to eight meters
- Growth width: 100 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 40 centimeters per year
Swedish columnar juniper (Juniperus communis 'Suecica')
This is a narrow and tall growing variety of the native common juniper, which scores with blue-green leaf colouring.
- Location: sunny
- Habit: shrubby to columnar, often multi-stemmed
- Height of growth: up to four meters
- Growth width: 100 to 150 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 20 centimeters per year
Rocket juniper 'Skyrocket' (Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket')
This juniper is also well suited to urban climates and is not sensitive to emissions. In addition, its needles have a beautiful blue-grey colour.
- Location: sunny
- Growth: Stiffly upright with vertical branches
- Growth height: up to seven meters
- Growth width: 150 to 200 centimeters
- Growth rate: 15 to 20 centimeters per year
frequently asked Questions
What options are there for a living privacy screen?If there is not enough space for a hedge, you can also set up wire mesh and let climbing plants grow over it. Ivy, for example, is very good for this, but Virginia creeper, black-eyed Susanne, American pipe bindweed, Chinese schizandra, trumpet bindweed, morning glory or honeysuckle can also be used for this purpose. In this way you create a privacy screen that grows quickly and remains particularly narrow.
What can you plant in front of such a hedge?If there is still enough space in front of the hedge, you can use it to plant ferns, grasses, ground covers or flowering perennials. This creates a smooth transition from the high hedge to the rest of the garden. When choosing the plants, however, make sure that they can cope with a partially shaded or even shady location and with root pressure.
How do you make a living willow fence?A living willow fence is also a good alternative if the hedge is to be high and narrow. Here, too, you first set up a wire mesh at the desired height, then stick freshly cut willow branches into the ground at regular intervals and weave the twigs through the mesh. Once the branches have rooted, they begin to green up.