#Alternative to sky pencil holly install#
#Alternative to sky pencil holly full#

Most cultivars grow slowly into irregular pyramids that need little to no pruning. In sun or part shade, Hinoki false cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is one of the most versatile and durable plant choices. In sunny spots, look to upright junipers, such as the grayish-green ‘Gray Gleam', the green-needled ‘Spartan’ or ‘Hetzii Columnaris’, or the slender blue-needled ‘Skyrocket'. Plenty of narrow and slightly more pyramidal evergreens are available that can be kept to 4 feet around or less.

#Alternative to sky pencil holly full#

Both boxwoods and Japanese hollies do well in a bit of afternoon shade but also in full sun with good soil and adequate water. ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) is also often sold in garden centers, although its long-term habit isn’t as full as ‘Dee Runk’ and ‘Green Tower’ boxwoods. ‘Graham Blandy’ is a veteran pole-type boxwood that’s still fairly common in the horticulture trade. In broad-leaf evergreens, look to columnar boxwoods and Japanese hollies (both hardy to Zone 6).‘Dee Runk’ and ‘Green Tower’ boxwoods are two of the nicest, newest narrow boxwoods that maintain a dense growth in the landscape. has a similar look to the soft-needled yew and is slightly less winter hardy (Zone 6 and warmer), but a good option for gardeners plagued by deer. Theygrow in sun or shade down to Zone 4.Ĭolumnar Japanese plum yew ‘Fastigiata’ (Cephalotaxus harringtonia). The varieties ‘Beanpole’ and ‘Flushing’ grow like green tubes and are easy to keep in the 8-foot by 2-foot range with a single annual shearing. Among the tightest are the columnar forms of the common soft-needled yew (Taxus).

Some of these grow into living green columns, scarcely no more than 2 feet across even 20 years down the road. Horticulturists and plant breeders have introduced plenty of slim, trim plants for the narrowest of spots.įor something permanent, start with one or more narrow, upright evergreens.

#Alternative to sky pencil holly install#

If you install a plant that wants to grow 8 feet wide when you’ve only got 2 or 3 feet to work with, you’re setting yourself up for years of unnecessary pruning work.Ī better idea for narrow-space gardening is to select skinny plants in skinny spaces, also known as the “right plant, right place” method. Most yards have at least a few “skinny” spots – those tight areas between buildings, between a sidewalk and the house, or maybe along a garage wall or fence.