Please tell us your location so people can recommend plants which have a good chance of growing in your area.

and do note how much space is between the tub and the fence.. looks like 6 inches from here ... on the dark side ...

im thinking you better start thinking outside the box of solving this issue with plants ... because anything the gets tall enough for your wishes.. is going to take a long time.. and then double in size in the future.. and you dont seem to have room for that ...

how about a pergola roof of some sort

ken

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=hot+tub+roof&t=ffnt&ia=images&iax=1

I'm in Northern California. There is 29 inches on both sides, from tub to fence. This area gets sun all day. I like the idea of a pergola but I already have one in the yard. With the yard being so small I think it might look a little odd.

29 inches is still extremely narrow for any kind of plant. For a tall hedge plant it is very challenging, unless you are willing to be shearing it constantly (not forgetting that you'll have to do the neighbour's side too.)

Can you add a photo that looks from the tub to the neighbor?

No plant is going to work for this purpose in only 29"!! You should instead consider a privacy screen/wall on the two sides of the tub that get overlooked by neighbors. Since it is within your property and not a fence, there should be no restrictions as to height.

Something like this:

design elements · More Info

Gardengal - I like that a lot and will definitely consider.

Here are photos of the sides.

Definitely not room for plants there.........unless a vine trained to grow up a support system. That is all what might be living that could fit :-)

I think your best move is a permanent screen of some type like in the example photos.

Thank you gardengal!

'Sky Pencil' holly? Easy to find, cheap, disposable, and best of all, narrowly growing.

Large ones are NOT cheap as they are slow growing. And unlikely to provide any significant privacy above 6' for a very long time. And will seldom ever exceed 8' after many years.

Also, that very confined space will make air circulation problematic, leading to issues with diseases and shading out of the foliage.

Thanks Logan.

What do you think about trimming this Hornbeam to provide air circulation?

Just keep in mind accessibility. How easy will it be for you to get in there and trim these trees as often as required? Can you even fit a ladder in that space? Even the most narrow of the columnar hornbeams will get 10-20' wide over time and will require at least annual, if not twice annual, pruning to keep a very narrow profile. And you will still have issues with air circulation unless the lower limbs are removed to at least the height of the top of the fence.

Just an aside but I use this tree frequently in my design work as it makes an excellent narrow growing privacy screen. But really not anywhere near as narrow as your space dictates unless you are prepared to maintain them routinely.

Thank you so much for your professional advice! I really do appreciate it.

great idea NHBabs! thanks

In addition, Hornbeam is a deciduous tree which would fill the space around your tub with leaves every autumn.

HMMM, no hornbeam then!

As much as i like to think, Trees are the answer (got the bumper sticker), I don't think trees are the answer here. If I were you, I'd probably look around photo galleries (houzz has some, among other sites), looking for privacy ideas. Pergolas, arbors, screens of one kind or another.

Podocarpus (now Afrocarpus) gracilior could be espaliered in that space. I've seen a similar use of Podocarpus mackii around a hot tub. You'd have to keep it sheared/trimmed, but you have enough space there to do it. I don't know. your zone but they are hardy here in my 9b Sonoma County.