A retaining wall system comprised of units having a front planter compartment with a drainage channel, and a rear hydro-drainage compartment. The front planter compartment accepts soil and vegetation therein, and the drainage channel drains water and other fluids from the first compartment into the second compartment to prevent hydrostatic pressure from building up within the front compartment. The rear hydro-drainage compartment is open on its bottom for draining and may be filled with angular gravel or other hydro-drainage aggregate to properly weight units to maintain unit placement. The units contain angle of installation guides that aid in vertically aligning the units to achieve a desired face setback, and angularly aligning the units to achieve a desired angle of repose between layers of units. The units contain horizontal alignment guides to aid in side-to-side unit placement. The units are of a sufficient weight that the unit weight along with the angle of installation guides and horizontal guides reduces unit slippage without the use of interlocking means or mortar. A wall of up to eight feet may be built without the use of geogrid in accordance with the present invention.