Pity you're set against yew. Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata' fits your requirements.

floral makes a good point. Not very many conifers - other than yews - are tolerant of much shade as well as being drought tolerant. And your size and coloring requirements further reduce the options.

Some possibilities include Cryptomeria Albo Spicata, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Barry's Silver and a number of Hinoki cypress (with a less pyramidal habit). However, none of these are particularly drought tolerant. Choices widen if the height issue is less restrictive.

I love Blue Spruce and there are many varieties, shapes and sizes. They are drought tolerant once extablished.

Tsuga mertensiana ‘Glacier Peak‘ might work. Iseli lists it, not sure of availability. Picea omorika also handles that much shade for me with a number of cultivars around. Drought will be an issue for most conifers, is there no way to water it?

tj

Blue Spruce

But not the slightest bit shade tolerant and also highly prone to a needlecast that makes them unsightly. Not a good choice at all for the PNW! (And most other locations outside of the Rockies)

Thank you for your responses. I do have older rhododendrons at the bottom of my driveway that I water during the hottest weather once a month or so. I live on acreage in the country and just don't want to be watering every couple of days or even weekly at the bottom of my long driveway. Plus, I am trying to move to a more drought tolerant plantings.
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Height really isn't a restriction - it's more a *width* concern. I certainly don't want to go over 8 feet or absolutely max 10 feet in width. I can also be more flexible on color.

" I am trying to move to a more drought tolerant plantings. "

Have you considered the possibility of broadleaved evergreen shrubs? In general, they will offer much great drought tolerance than conifers once established and a vast array of sizes, shapes and colors. Most are highly prunable as well.....conifers typically are not.

Tsugajunkie

I wouldn't mind watering once a month or so. Do you think that might work with the tree you suggested?

Gardengal48

For some reason, I am struggling with this area. In the other side of the gravel driveway on the north side are Rhododendron Ponticum (which I never had to water during the summer until it's recently), taxus baccata repandens, a full moon maple, and sword ferns.

The south side under some alders I planted some additional rhododendrons that have struggled - I'm pulling them out. This is the side with my neighbors electrical box and meter (right over the line on his side of the property) that I would like to hide. It's not the side of the driveway that receives the main focus as I live on a road that goes north and is a dead end.

Any shrub suggestions? Drought resistant, somewhat taller to hide the ugly electrical box? I have about 10- 12 feet of width between my driveway and the neighbors property.

Perhaps OP is not interested in yews, because they are interested in keeping their pets alive :-)

In addition you could sub the word 'children' for 'pets' in the above and the same would apply. (Apart from the chocolate!).

"...apples..."

I and children eat apples and we are still alive :-)

Google " malus toxicity " and see what you find. btw, I said apple trees, not just the fruit (although if one eats enough of the wrong parts, the fruit can make you, kids and any pets pretty darn sick as well).

On another note, I would like to mention that I bought a small Hinoki Cyprus Filicoides for the area. It's a bit of a risk, but I am hopeful.

Also, just for general information purposes, I do have a Japanese Umbrella Pine "Joe Kozey" in a spot that gets about 4 hours of sun in winter but almost no direct sun in the summer when a huge sycamore tree leafs out. It grown more somewhat more slowly than the one in the sun, but looks healthy.

Thank you for all your input!

Thank you

Maybe a grouping of Sky Pencil hollies? I have one on the north side of my house by my front door and it does great in almost all shade. I also have a 'Taylor's Sunburst' pine which is fine in quite a bit of shade although the bright yellow tips are not as prominent as they used to be. One more recommendation - 'Graham Blandy' boxwood, which is a tall columnar variety.