I was thinking Thuja occidentalis 'Malonyana Aurea' right up until that deer resistant part.

tj

Have you thought of this one?

https://www.coniferkingdom.com/picea-abies-aurea/

Picea abies 'Aurea' is a great choice. I have Picea abies 'aurea' but the variety that grows 4-6 inches a year.

Sorry, got my links messed up. Wonders of the internet. :-?

I meant 'Aurea magnifica' or 'Aurea Jakobsen' much smaller versions and magnifica is very gold.

https://www.coniferkingdom.com/picea-abies-aurea-magnifica/

The Norway Spruce sounds magnifica, but I'm skeptical it would stay narrow. I might be wrong about that, but P. a. grows fast and big in these parts, and I suspect it would seriously encroach on the other conifers in short order. I know it grows slower than a seedling, but even at 6"-12"/year, my hunch is it would soon (in tree time) overpower this bed.

TJ, that Malonyana Arborvitae looks splendid. If not for deer, it would be perfect. Speaking of deer, how 'bout them Bucks?! The only Arborvitae I've planted is 'Filip's Magic Moment', which grows in a triangular bed surrounded by masonry foundation, concrete patio, and asphalt driveway. It's about the only spot on the place where the deer don't roam.

The 'Aurea Jakobsen' says 3-6" per year, appears very narrow and is listed as z3. But I get your point.

Problem is, Picea is the only plant that will fit all your requirements. Maybe you'll just have to enlarge that bed a bit. :-)

Thuja are the nicest appearance if they weren't deer food.

My 'Malonyana Aurea' is about 12' tall and 5-6' wide. Gorgeous but not that narrow. !

The Thuja is moot. I’d have to build some sort of conifer fortress to keep the deer off it. What I really want is a lustrous golden ‘Pendula Bruns’. Does that exist?

How about Picea omorika 'Buttermilk Falls?

Deer don't seem to bother Thuja plicata. Maybe there's a cultivar that will suit you.

Maackia you need to "Sear the Deer".

tj

No decision has been made, but I appreciate all the recommendations. I see that Garen Rees has a picture of one from 2013. I wonder how big it has grown for him?? I may go with 'Pendula Bruns' if a suitable gold variety is not to be found.

Mike, I have not tried Thuja plicata, but I've also read that it is not favored by deer. I assumed it is not hardy to z4, but I should probably test this for myself.

I don't hunt, but I do find venison to be mighty tasty. :)

How about a 'Gold Drift'

Gold drift is what I was thinking too

'Gold Drift' will need to be staked in order to be "narrow and upright" :-) Mine is flat as a pancake but quite wide without staking. More of a groundcover than an upright conifer.

Gold Drift can grow upright without/limited staking but you need to find one with that habit.

I have one that is a crawler, one that is horizontally upright and then one completely upright like the pic above (even thought this one is staked).

Every landscape should have at least 3 of these based on their unique character alone.

The gold is fairly vibrant in the humid midwest. Little to no burning in full sun summers and winters.

Okay, I need to have a Gold Drift. Maybe not for this spot, but I’ll find a home for it.

Last fall I planted an unstaked Gold Drift to use as a ground cover, and the bunnies were ecstatic this spring! They stripped it of every single needle. I told the dog I was pretty disappointed in her, but she doesn’t seem to care. Guess I will have to protect the next one. :/