Planting a Tall Hedge in a 2‑Foot Strip: What Actually Works in Los Angeles

The Scenario

A homeowner recently asked:

"Need Help with suggestions for a Hedge option in a tight space"

The GardenOwl Diagnosis

The Assessment

Narrow side yards are where good design goes to die. In this case, we’ve got a tight strip in Los Angeles: about 2 feet wide, running along a white-painted brick wall, right next to a brick patio and a post with hose reels mounted on it. The bed is a tangle of ivy and random groundcover, plus some bare, compacted soil. The homeowner wants what everyone wants in a spot like this: improving curb appeal and gaining privacy. However, attempting to force a macro-scale hedge into a 24-inch slot is a primary trigger for The Caged Giant Syndrome, where a plant's genetic drive for volume physically collides with rigid architectural boundaries.

“A thick, full, tall hedge.”

Two feet from wall to edge. That’s it.

They’re imagining a classic lush green wall that hides the brick and gives privacy without tearing up the patio or messing with the structure.

You can get privacy here—but if you pick the wrong plant, you’ll either:

• Crack the brick and lift the pavers, or
• End up with a sick, one-sided hedge you’re constantly fighting.

Let’s walk through what actually works in a strip this tight.

The Trap: Forcing a Big Hedge into a Tiny Slot

Most people look at that 2 ft bed and think: “Just cram in ficus, privet, or podocarpus. Everyone uses those for hedges in LA, they’ll fill in.”

That’s how you get:

• Roots pushing on the wall and under the brick
• A hedge that’s dying on the wall side because there’s no light or air
• Constant pruning just to keep it from eating the walkway

Two feet of soil is nothing. By the time you subtract:

• 4–6 inches right against the wall where you don’t want roots hammering your foundation or brick
• A few inches at the edge so you’re not brushing plants every time you walk

…you’ve basically got a 12–15 inch workable root zone.

Big, vigorous hedge plants like ficus and privet are thugs in that space. They’ll grow, but they’ll fight the hardscape the whole way. The result is expensive.

You have two smart paths instead:

1. Use naturally narrow, columnar shrubs or trees, spaced tight, and commit to disciplined pruning, or
2. Build the “thickness” with a trellis, and use vines so the roots don’t need 3–4 feet of width.

For a 2 ft strip in LA, that second option is usually the best long-term play.

The Solution (Deep Dive)

Step 1: Decide what kind of “hedge” you actually need

You’ve got three realistic options for this site:

1. Columnar shrubs (more traditional hedge feel)
   Example: Carolina cherry laurel (‘Bright n Tight’ or ‘Compacta’)

2. Medium-height shrub hedge (softer, not sky-high)
   Example: Indian hawthorn (‘Clara’ or ‘Majestic Beauty’)

3. A vine on a trellis (“hedge on a frame”)
   Example: Star jasmine or potato vine (Solanum jasminoides)

Let’s break down each option and how to do it right.

Option A: Narrow Shrub Hedge (Cherry Laurel)

Use this if: You want something that reads as a classic hedge and you’re okay with maintenance.

Why it works here:

• ‘Bright n Tight’ and ‘Compacta’ cherry laurels are naturally upright and narrower than the usual monsters people plant.
• They handle LA heat and sun, and can take some shade too.
• They can be kept in a flat panel with hedge shears.

What can go wrong: Push them too close to the wall, or let them get wide, and they’ll lean over the patio and compete with that brick footing.

How to install cherry laurel in a 2 ft strip:

1. Clear the bed properly

   • Rip out the ivy and anything with runners. Ivy will strangle new plants.
   • Loosen the top 8–10 inches of soil with a fork; don’t aggressively dig right next to the wall.

2. Give the wall breathing room

   • Snap a line about 6 inches out from the brick wall. That’s your no-plant, low-root zone.
   • Center your planting row 12–14 inches from the wall.

3. Spacing

   • Plant laurel 18–24 inches on center for a tight hedge. Closer = faster privacy, more pruning.

4. Soil prep
   LA soils swing from clay to decomposed granite. In a narrow strip like this:

   • Mix 2–3 inches of compost into the planting zone only (not stacked against the wall).
   • Don’t dig deeper than the rootballs—just wide and loose. Over-loosening right along the wall encourages roots to head there.

   If you want the science on soil health and drainage, the University of Minnesota’s soil health guidance explains why structure and organic matter matter more than gimmicks.

5. Planting height

   • Set plants so the root flare is at or slightly above the finished soil grade. Don’t bury crowns.

6. Mulch & water

   • Install drip along the row, 1–2 emitters per plant.
   • Add 2–3 inches of shredded bark mulch, keeping it 2 inches away from stems.

7. Pruning for a flat panel

   • The first 1–2 years, pinch and tip-prune to encourage branching.
   • Shape the hedge slightly wider at the base and narrower at the top so light hits the lower foliage.

This can give you a solid 6–8 ft hedge, but you’re signing up for regular clipping.

Option B: Medium Hedge with Indian Hawthorn

Use this if: You’re okay with a hedge around 5–7 ft tall, you like a softer, more informal look, and you want flowers.

Why it works here:

• Indian hawthorn is naturally more compact and rounded.
• It handles coastal conditions, sun, and reflected heat pretty well.
• In LA, it’s a tough, proven shrub.

Downsides: Not a super-tall privacy wall. Think screening more than fortress.

How to use hawthorn in this strip:

• Same basic prep as laurel: clear, loosen soil, stay off the wall.
• Plant 24–30 inches on center in a staggered pattern if you have the length.
• Let them knit into a big, soft mass that hides the wall but doesn’t press hard on it.

This is a nice choice if your main goal is softening the wall rather than blocking a second-story view.

Option C: The Smart Move – Vine on a Trellis

For a 2 ft bed up against brick, this is usually the best answer.

Use this if: You want a tall, dense, green wall without chunky trunks and big root systems pushing on your masonry.

Why a trellis “hedge” works so well here:

• The thickness comes from the foliage and frame, not a massive root ball.
• You can get 6–8+ ft of coverage with roots in a narrow strip.
• Maintenance is lighter—occasional trim, not constant shearing.

Best vines for this spot in LA:

• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

  • Evergreen, glossy leaves
  • Dense coverage, takes pruning well
  • Strong fragrance when in bloom

• Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides)

  • Fast, semi-evergreen to evergreen in mild LA spots
  • Lighter, finer foliage for a softer look
  • White or light blue flowers, more airy than jasmine

I lean star jasmine here if you want that classic rich green wall.

How to build and plant a trellis hedge

1. Set the trellis off the wall

   • Use a simple metal or wood trellis, 6–8 ft tall.
   • Mount it on brackets so it sits 3–4 inches off the brick wall. That gap prevents moisture problems and gives vines something to grip.

2. Layout and anchoring

   • Run the trellis the full length of the bed where you want greenery.
   • Keep posts or brackets aligned with mortar joints if you’re drilling into brick, or use freestanding metal panels if you don’t want to touch the wall.

3. Plant spacing

   • Plant star jasmine or potato vine 18–24 inches on center along the base of the trellis.
   • Keep each plant 10–12 inches from the wall—centered in the strip.

4. Soil and mulch

   • Loosen soil, mix in 2–3 inches of compost in the planting band.
   • Install a drip line right along the row, with 1–2 emitters per plant.
   • Mulch 2–3 inches deep, not piled against stems (University of Maryland’s mulching best practices shows exactly why this matters for plant health).

5. Training the vines

   • First year: tie new shoots to the trellis with soft ties, fanning them out horizontally and vertically.
   • Don’t let everything run straight up. Lateral coverage is what gives you a solid green sheet.

6. Pruning & thickness

   • Lightly trim tips a couple of times during the growing season to encourage branching.
   • Once the trellis is mostly covered, you can shear it like a flat hedge if you want a crisp line, or hand-prune for a looser look.

In a space like the photo, a jasmine panel will read like a lush, custom privacy wall—and the roots aren’t out there lifting your brick patio.

Right Plant, Right Place (Especially in Tight Strips)

Before you run to the nursery, double-check two things:

1. Sun exposure

   • That white wall is bouncing light and heat.
   • If it’s south or west facing, you’re dealing with a hot microclimate—star jasmine and cherry laurel can handle it if irrigated.
   • If it’s mostly shade, lean more on jasmine/potato vine; some shrub choices will thin out.

2. Watering reality

   • Drip is your friend in a narrow bed.
   • Tie it into whatever you’re using for the rest of the yard; don’t rely on hand-watering forever.

If you’re not sure what else this narrow space wants to connect to visually, have a look at how we tied a problem corner together in "How We Hid an Ugly Stormwater Drain and Gained a Usable Corner Patio". Same idea: turn the eyesore band into a focal backdrop.

Visualizing the Result: Use GardenDream as Your Safety Net

The easiest way to blow money in a space like this is to guess at scale.

• Italian cypress may look great in your head, but three years in they can feel like a line of telephone poles.
• Cherry laurel might be perfect height-wise, but too chunky at eye level.
• A jasmine panel might be the right call—but you won’t feel that until you see it against your actual wall and post.

Before you buy plants or drill into that brick:

1. Take a straight-on photo of the strip (just like the one you shared).
2. Drop it into our Exterior Design App.
3. Test:
   • A row of Italian cypress vs. a tight laurel hedge
   • A 7 ft jasmine trellis vs. an 8 ft one
   • How much greenery you need to hide the hoses and hardware on that post

Think of our Exterior Design App as your blueprint and undo button. You can:

• See how tall the hedge needs to be to block the view you actually care about.
• Check whether narrow columns or a flat green sheet looks better with your brick.
• Avoid the classic mistake of planting something you’ll be chainsawing in five years.

If you like reading through other problem spots first, the makeover in "Flat, Beige, and Boiling: How We Turned This Rock Yard Into a Welcoming Desert Front Entry" shows the same idea: test the structure and massing before you touch a shovel.