Best Plants to Surround Your Pool

Between balancing chemicals, skimming debris, and inspecting equipment, there’s a lot that goes into maintaining a pool. The last thing you want to have to worry about is taking care of the landscaping surrounding your pool. Choosing low-maintenance plants to border your pool can help you achieve the poolscape you want without putting in extra work. The most pool-friendly plants and trees are those that do well in full sun, can stand getting splashed with chlorinated water, and don’t drop leaves or flowers often. Dreamscape Designer’s top picks for plants to surround a pool include:

Succulents

These hardy plants are great additions to a poolscape: They don't require frequent watering, thrive in sunlight, and don't have any leaves. Larger succulents, like crassula or yucca, are great to plant as a border around the pool, while smaller succulents like aloe, aeonium, sedum, and echeveria plants add interest and texture to fill in bare areas. Avoid succulents that have thorns or needles, as they don’t pair well with bare feet!

Palm Trees

Palm trees are a must-have if you're looking to turn your pool into a tropical retreat! Not all types of palm trees do well in the Hampton Roads area, so choosing your palms wisely is important. Beaked yucca, regenerated sabal palms, European fan palms, and dwarf palmetto are good choices for the region’s humid, subtropical climate zone. After palm trees are established, they are drought-resistant, so little watering is needed.

Ornamental Grasses

For visual interest without a lot of work, ornamental grasses are the way to go. These plants are very hardy and can withstand the sunny, well-drained areas surrounding pools. Popular options include pampas grass, blue fescue, reed grass, and switchgrass. Ornamental grass is also less expensive than other plants, making it an attractive choice for homeowners.

Boxwood Shrubs

These dense, evergreen plants don’t have many droppings, so leaves or flowers won’t end up in the pool. They can be trimmed to any shape (think boxy, rounded, or cone-shaped) and aren’t bothered by chlorinated water. What’s more, boxwood shrubs look great in the summer, and all year long too.

Vines

People who want more privacy around their pool often add vines to their poolscape. When planted near fences, these quick-growing plants make the pool area seem secluded from the world. Vines that grow up trellises are also a great way to provide shade on hot summer days. Since they grow vertically, vines are an ideal choice for smaller poolscapes.

At Dreamscape Designers our landscape professionals have decades of experience creating poolscapes in the Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach area. If you want to enhance your pool landscaping this summer, now’s the time to get started! To discuss your poolscape needs, call us at (757) 412-1265 or contact us online.