If you are short on open space but want a privacy tree, choose one of the many columnar trees.
These trees don’t spread very wide, so despite sometimes growing very tall, they have a narrow footprint, allowing them to fit into tight spaces.
They will block out those unsightly views or nosy neighbors without taking up a lot of room.
Let’s take a look at nine tall, skinny, privacy trees you can grow in your yard!
9 Beautiful Tall Skinny Privacy Trees for Your Yard
1. Italian Cypress – Cupressus sempervirens
Italian Cypress is a fantastic choice for an incredibly tall, skinny privacy tree. These gorgeous cypress trees are evergreen, providing year-round privacy.
While they will grow to 40 feet tall, they can be pruned to any height you wish, and at only 5 feet wide, you can plant them in rows or singly to fit in the smallest of spaces.
These fast-growing trees grow up to 3 feet yearly, so you can quickly increase your property value and privacy.
Italian Cypress are sun- and heat-loving trees that tolerate nearly any soil type and urban conditions but are not very cold-tolerant.
- USDA Growing Zones: 8 – 10
- Average Size at Maturity: 30 – 40 ft tall, 4 – 5 ft spread
Italian Cypress, 2-3 ft.
- Slender, space-saving vertical growth
- Adds height and elegance to landscapes
- Adaptable to diverse climates
2. Taylor Juniper Tree – Juniperus virginiana ‘Taylor’
The Taylor Juniper Tree is popular for its dense, rich green columnar canopy of evergreen leaves.
Although not growing as tall, these trees appear similar to the popular Italian Cypress. However, this gorgeous beauty thrives in frigid winters down to USDA Zone 3, giving it its other common name, Italian Cypress of the North.
These make great skinny privacy trees grown next to your home or as a border tree around your property or driveway.
Taylor Juniper Trees grow best in full sun in any moist or well-drained soil and are drought-tolerant once established.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
- Average Size at Maturity: 15 – 20 ft tall, 2 – 4 ft spread
Taylor Juniper - 3 Gallon
- Dense, rich green columnar canopy
- Cold-hardy down to Zone 3
- Ideal for privacy and border planting
3. Sky Tower Ginkgo Tree – Ginkgo biloba ‘JN9’
The lovely Sky Tower Ginkgo Tree is a unique compact columnar form of the popular ancient Ginkgo tree.
It has an incredibly dense and rich canopy of lush green fan-shaped leaves that flutter attractively in the slightest breeze and provide excellent summer shade and privacy before turning a brilliant glowing shade of yellow in the fall.
Best grown in full sun, these hardy trees will tolerate any well-drained soil and urban pollution. They’re also incredibly long-lived and disease and pest-resistant. And since all Sky Tower Ginkgo Trees are male trees, they won’t produce any messy fruits.
- USDA Growing Zones: 5 – 8
- Average Size at Maturity: 15 – 20 ft tall, 6 – 10 ft spread
- Flowering / Fruiting Season: Inconspicuous small flowers bloom in spring; male trees produce no fruits
Sky Tower Ginkgo Tree
- Compact, dense canopy with fan-shaped leaves
- Brilliant yellow fall color
- Long-lived, pest and disease-resistant
4. Blue Arrow Juniper – Juniperus scopulorum ‘Blue Arrow’
The Blue Arrow Juniper is another tall, skinny evergreen privacy tree, but this one has scale-like leaves that are a stunning shade of blue-green, sure to pop out in any landscape.
Thanks to their narrow form, you can plant several of them to create a stunning blue-green privacy screen or windbreak that won’t take up much space.
Like most juniper trees, they produce small berry-like seed cones in the fall that invite birds to your yard, using the tree for winter shelter while they feast on the seeds.
Blue Arrow Junipers are highly adaptable trees but perform best in full sun.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
- Average Size at Maturity: 16 – 20 ft tall, 2 – 4 ft spread
- Fruiting Season: Attractive berry-like seed cones mature in fall and persist through winter
Blue Arrow Juniper - 1 Live 4 Inch Pots
- Striking blue-green, narrow form
- Ideal for space-saving privacy screens
- Attracts birds with berry-like cones
5. Blue Weeping Alaskan Cedar – Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Glauca Pendula’
The Blue Weeping Alaskan Cedar is a gorgeous cedar tree with weeping branches and glaucous blue-green scale-like leaves.
It grows tall but maintains a fairly narrow form, allowing it to fit in smaller spaces where it will provide year-round privacy thanks to its evergreen leaves.
As its Alaskan Cedar name implies, it is incredibly cold tolerant, thriving down to USDA Zone 3, handling snow and ice equally well.
While often grown in full sun, these trees will also handle a significant amount of shade. They prefer moist, well-drained soil and will benefit from some mulch to keep their roots moist.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 7
- Average Size at Maturity: 30 – 35 ft tall, 10 – 15 ft spread
6. Lombardy Poplar – Populus nigra ‘Italica’
The Lombardy Poplar wins hands down for an incredibly fast-growing, tall, skinny, deciduous privacy tree.
Like other poplar trees, this tree will grow as much as 6 feet in a single year, but its narrow columnar habit makes it the perfect privacy screen or border tree to give you fast privacy while taking up little space.
It’s not only functional; the Lombardy Poplar is also beautiful with its big, heart-shaped leaves that rustle in the wind, muffling traffic sounds while flashing their attractive silvery undersides. In fall, they turn a bright, classic shade of attractive yellow.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
- Average Size at Maturity: 40 – 60 ft tall, 10 – 15 ft spread
- Flowering Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge in spring
Lombardy Poplar Trees - (10 Trees)
- Rapid growth, up to 6 feet yearly
- Tall, skinny, space-saving privacy tree
- Heart-shaped leaves with silvery undersides
7. Willow Hybrid Tree – Salix x matsudana x alba
The gorgeous Willow Hybrid Tree is a deciduous privacy tree that will grow quite tall but maintains a very narrow form, spreading only 10 feet wide and making it highly suitable for planting in rows as a privacy screen or border.
Willow Hybrid Trees grow exceptionally fast, up to 6 feet per year. So it will block out unsightly views or nosy neighbors in record time.
Being a willow tree, it thrives in almost any climate, weather, or soil type, even wet soil, allowing you to plant it and forget about it.
- USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9
- Average Size at Maturity: 35 – 45 ft (to 75 ft) tall, 5 – 10 ft spread
- Flowering: Inconspicuous flowers emerge in spring
10 Austree Hybrid Willow Trees
- Fast-growing, 10-15 feet annually
- Provides quick privacy and shade
- Low maintenance, easy to grow
8. Emerald Green Arborvitae – Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’
The Emerald Green Arborvitae is an excellent choice for a medium-sized privacy screen. They are lush and dense but don’t get too tall or wide.
This means you can plant them in privacy screens, hedges, or borders to create gorgeous green privacy with a neat and tidy tree that will never need pruning to maintain its shape.
Its compact form means you can also plant Emerald Green Arborvitae next to foundations or in any tight area in your landscape.
These highly adaptable trees grow in various soils, climates, and moisture conditions.
- USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 8
- Average Size at Maturity: 10 – 15 ft tall, 3 – 4 ft spread
Emerald Green Arborvitae, 1-2 ft.
- Lush, dense, medium-sized privacy screen
- Neat, tidy shape with no pruning needed
- Compact form, ideal for tight spaces
9. Loblolly Pine Tree – Pinus taeda
If you have a larger yard and want a fast-growing tall evergreen that spreads a bit wider than the others discussed, the Loblolly Pine is an excellent choice.
While they will grow to impressive heights, they are single-trunked trees with a tall canopy, so they don’t take up much width in your yard compared to their impressive height.
They would make a great privacy tree, shade tree, or windbreak.
Loblolly Pines are native to the Eastern USA, where they thrive in various conditions, including riparian areas and other wet, poorly drained, acidic clay soils that are difficult for most trees.
- USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
- Average Size at Maturity: 60 – 80 ft tall, 30 – 35 ft spread
- Flowering / Fruiting Season: Pollen cones mature in spring; seed cones mature in the following year’s fall.
Loblolly Pine Tree Plants - 10 Live Seedlings
- Tall evergreen growth for privacy screens
- Fast-growing, suitable for various landscapes
- Supports wildlife, enhancing biodiversity
Comparison Table of Tall & Skinny Privacy Trees
| No. | Tree Name | USDA Growing Zones | Average Size at Maturity | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian Cypress | 8 – 10 | 30-40 ft tall, 4-5 ft spread | Evergreen, fast-growing, sun-loving |
| 2 | Taylor Juniper | 3 – 9 | 15-20 ft tall, 2-4 ft spread | Dense green canopy, cold-hardy, drought-tolerant |
| 3 | Sky Tower Ginkgo | 5 – 8 | 15-20 ft tall, 6-10 ft spread | Unique fan-shaped leaves, long-lived, pest-resistant |
| 4 | Blue Arrow Juniper | 4 – 8 | 16-20 ft tall, 2-4 ft spread | Blue-green leaves, adaptable, produces seed cones |
| 5 | Blue Weeping Alaskan Cedar | 3 – 7 | 30-35 ft tall, 10-15 ft spread | Weeping branches, cold tolerant, prefers moist soil |
| 6 | Lombardy Poplar | 3 – 9 | 40-60 ft tall, 10-15 ft spread | Fast-growing, heart-shaped leaves, autumn yellow foliage |
| 7 | Willow Hybrid | 4 – 9 | 35-45 ft (to 75 ft) tall, 5-10 ft spread | Exceptionally fast growth, adaptable to various soils |
| 8 | Emerald Green Arborvitae | 3 – 8 | 10-15 ft tall, 3-4 ft spread | Compact, dense, adaptable to various conditions |
| 9 | Loblolly Pine | 6 – 9 | 60-80 ft tall, 30-35 ft spread | Impressive height, native to Eastern USA, tolerates wet soils |
Tall Skinny Privacy Trees That Will Fit in Tight Spots
I hope you enjoyed learning about some of the tall, skinny privacy trees that you can grow in tight spots in your yard but still give you the privacy you want.
When choosing a tree, ensure you know what USDA Planting Zone you are in, and check out how to pick a tree for your yard for more information on choosing the right tree for the right spot.
Now for the fun part: choosing your next tree(s)!
Related Articles:
- 14 Best Zone 7 Privacy Hedge Ideas (Mixed & Formal)
- Achieve Garden Privacy with the Best Hedges for Zone 8 (Formal and Informal)
- Upgrade Your Poolside Privacy in 2024 with These Top Hedging Trees and Bushes
- 15 Zone 4 Privacy Hedge Ideas for Both Formal and Informal Landscapes
- 34 Fast Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Lush, Private Garden
Thank you for the good information. I question the Loblolly Pine as a screening tree. Like other southern yellow pines, they self prune, so if planted together, they will loose the lower limbs that are shaded. Even when planted alone, they will self-prune the lower limbs. At least that’s my experience in my own yard in north Texas and observing many loblolly pines in east Texas where they are native.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Loblolly, Scott! Perhaps they are best suited for situations where a fence or some shrubs can provide privacy until the canopy fills in.