if you only need a couple of feet above the fence, why not train bouganvilla across the top? It will easily fit a narrow space and form a nice 2 foot mass above the fence for privacy. It will drop bracts, what people call flowers on this plant, once a year but otherwise they are fine.

Any hedge plant is going to require constant maintenance to keep within 26 inches. That means that evenif the plant doesn't drop leaves, there will be plenty of pruning litter from the hedge clippers.

also, being in Burbank, you should use Sunset Western Garden Zones not USDA Zones. They represent our microclimates better.

Thank you for the bougainvillea suggestion, I'll look into it! Any other ideas? Fyi, my Sunset zone is 20.

Grewia occidentalis would be a perfect hedge for such a narrow strip, but it also has small leaves and petals which would be messy around a pool. Bougainvillea only dropping bracts once a year; thats a real laugh... You might consider Schefflra pueckleri, a classic pool screening large shrub/small tree, which would eventually need pruning to control height. Chamaedorea plumosa would also work. Around a pool with no cover, it is generally better to select plants that seldom drop leaves, or have large leaves that are easier to fish out with a net. Pococarpus latifolius Icee Blue would also work.

Oh nice... does the Schefflera need frequent pruning or just occasional? Are the roots ok next to a retaining wall? I like the look of it (may have to change the theme from cottage to troipcal) but don't want to be fighting something to keep it in the small space.

I have a similar need. However, along my row of 40 feet i would need something that could tolerate full sun as well as complete shade (close/under a neighbor's tree). they must be drought tolerant too.
I would appreciate any suggestions!
Thank you , George K.

Must be a difference in watering Bahia. The boug on my neighbor's fence dries out and drops everything all at once. I mean sure it's over like a two month period, but it isn't dropping continuously all year long. But then it is grown hard with no supplemental water.

This is the most commonly asked question on the forum, I think. Some day someone will become very rich by hybridizing this perfect narrow screening shrub! I wish they would create it now, I need some. Meanwhile, here's the FAQ answer.

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQs

Schefflera pueckleri does develop some rather aggressive surface roots with age, and may be perfectly safe it your wall has a properly reinforced foundation of concrete with rebar, but not enough info here to advise you in your circumstances. In general Podocarpus latifolius or another species is probably a safer choice if your retaining walls are of questionable construction.I've also seen Magnolia grandiflora dwarfer cultivars used as trained espaliers in narrow planters without foundation problems. As to just one 2 month drop of flowers for Bougainvillea, not how I see them work here in northern California where most cultivars have two to three waves of bloom throughout the year, and drop massive amounts of flowers. Not a vine I'd use by a pool without a pool cover.

at 26" wide, a trellis with a vine or decorative panels is your best choice. Ye Olde Standbye Star Jasmine. Bougies get too wide, and have thorns of length and sharpness.