Small, slow-growing trees or shrubs are the best vegetation options, save for shallow-rooted herbaceous plants, for areas near water pipes. Both are drought tolerant, which makes them perfect for arid regions where many homeowners have backyard swimming pools. Adding trees around a pool can help create privacy, add shade, and increase property value. Finer needle that drop are known to sneak by the skimmer baskets and clog up your pool pump impellor. They will grow in coastal regions and also in areas with hot, dry summers. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Harbour dwarf nandina and dwarf yaupon holly are great small shrubs to line the border of a walking path or the perimeter of the pool decking. And cute little trees that grow into large monsters can block the sun’s warmth, or block the sight and sounds of the pool, which can be unsafe. Do yourself a favor, find some nice plants or bushes to put around your pool and leave the trees to the other parts of your yard. But in my experience, they are fairly small trees, and the blossom petals aren’t too much of a nuisance, just during one week anyway. Avocado can also handle some dry periods, but less so. Aside from trees for privacy, we’re also looking for drought resistant ones as we are required from time to time to cut back on the watering. We are putting a fiberglass pool in right now and I was possibly going to put an ornamental Japanese maple tree in at least 15 feet or so away from the pool. I was thinking about planting Thuja Green Gianta a new evergreen that was bred for privacy. ‘Xanadu’ is a dense (but tender) evergreen, a low-spreading plant that clumps to three feet tall by five feet wide. If they are too much however, consider ‘culling the herd’, and taking out half of them, planting some low bushes, azalea or boxwood or oleander to fill space in between. One reason to consider the ironwood tree for pool landscaping is the … Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. For the fur that grows on the trunk, if your climate is not too cold, you can trim of that hair from around the trunk. Unless you have a very tall pool enclosure, it’s best to plant a white bird in the landscape near the pool as it grows 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide. While most bananas are frost tender, Musa basjoo is considered the hardiest. Palo verde trees include two species from the Parkinsonia genus—P. Some trees have very aggressive roots that can damage pool walls or vinyl liners when planted too close to inground pools. Likewise, covering soils in plastic on the pool side, will slow water absorption on the pool side of the tree, to discourage root growth. Generally speaking, although over-pruning can hurt some trees, but not Thuja, I don’t think…. Palo verde trees cannot abide too much moisture, so make sure to plant them in soil that is very well-drained. Native to North America, Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) has single, ringed trunk that is smooth, straight and topped with a large canopy of feathery fronds. And with that said, don’t be afraid to change what was planted after the pool was built. An advantage to growing a poolside citrus tree in a container is that you can move it around to follow or protect it from the sun. Its broad, large leaves (5 to 9 feet) give it a tropical look, but can be easily torn by winds. Clusters of white flowers in spring. Are they still a good choice near a pool? Walnut Trees; The Best Trees. All trees should be planted at least 10 feet from the pool to minimize the amount of leaves that drop in the water and prevent damage to the pool wall from tree roots. Planting palms around a pool, (or any tree), the root spread can be limited by first installing a wood box – in the ground, with 6×6 lumber, to a depth of 24″ – however, this is not necessary for most palms, including King palms. A tree that does well in zone 8 may not survive winters in zone 7. Japanese maples are native to Japan and Korea and can be considered large shrubs or small trees. Yikes, river birch are extremely messy. The pool services said the crape myrtle trees pollen (2 trees) are making the pool green, is this true. Or as an option to trees, consider a cabana or pergola with wisteria or vines. Crepe myrtles grow fast and provide good shade – but aren’t they constantly dropping leaves and flowers? If you place blooming trees too close to the pool, or in the path of the wind, then you are going to wind up with petals all over your patio or floating in your water. These trees have extensive and invasive root systems that will seek moisture at any cost. 60 ft or so, and may have, under ideal conditions, a root spread equal to that amount. But then again, I could be wrong! You may have a severe phosphate contamination, which can be treated with PhosFree, or a severe filter problem, or no chlorine, or the pump only runs a few hours a day… and the main drain issue, but probably not the main drain per se… causing green water. Some trees might have deep or wide-spread root systems that make them unideal for use near a pool. Your best fruit tree options for home landscaping are lemon, orange, tangerine, lime, kumquat, and grapefruit. Roetting / Pollex / LOOK-foto / Getty Images. Ask your local garden designer , landscaper , garden supplier or nursery about the best varieties for pool areas. Hi, you can slow growth with less watering and fertilizer. At the time a pool wasn't in our future. These trees have good tolerance for drought once well established, but in the first year, give them plenty of water. 1. Evergreen Ash (Fraxinus udhei): Also known as Shamel Ash, this large, fast-growing shade tree is easy to grow and maintain with minimal pruning. And they do not have deep root systems that would damage the pool? Hi, if the Crepe myrtle berries are a problem, the drain cover can be replaced, with one that won’t allow clogging, or cover the drain with a Polaris Unibridge, which should also be a solution. Hi Luna, how about a maple or a evergreen spruce? My yard butts up to my cousins yard. HI Gregg, most Palm trees have weak, shallow roots and are monocots so they don’t have tap roots like hard wood trees, but dicots, which grow in a more diffuse pattern. Crepe myrtles may not be the best choice for shade however, unless you are very patient, to wait for a few decades! I was wondering your thoughts on Areca palms all around a pool in south Florida for privacy? Just as there are trees that do well around pools, there are lots of trees that won’t. thanks for your reply. Let me finish by saying this, I love trees and if they were there before the pool, perhaps they have squatter’s rights, and should not be taken down to improve the view or sun exposure. Yellow foxtail grass; Giant reed Willows are majestic, unique trees that can really add a very picturesque element to your pond. Thanks, OF all the palms to plant in a tiny space like that, the Queen Palm was a good choice. Hi, Areca Palm, Golden Cane Palm and Butterfly Palm (all the same) tend to have a shallow and thin root system, that would not normally pose any danger to pool walls or pipes. . Some varieties of citrus trees are particularly suitable for growing in containers or small areas. Easily identifiable by large spikes or studded thorns on its greenish trunk and branches, the floss silk is not a tree to plant right next to the pool. A pool without good main drain suction will suffer with water quality, but usually just hazy water in the deep areas, not full blown green algae. The habit of the tree is easy to manage to form a trunk. When choosing a trees specimen to plant near your swimming pool, take into account: Here are 9 types of trees that work well for landscaping around a swimming pool. Lots of big messy leaves in the fall and helicopter seeds in the spring. Day Lilies and sedums. When looking to add trees to a pool area, it is important to look for trees that have little cleanup, non-invasive roots, and add to the feel and look you want. Low maintenance and very resilient. The wrong choices could detract from the entire scene. Palm trees are some of the most popular choices of trees for landscaping near swimming pools. Crape myrtles, like most trees, tend to have cycles of heavy pollen every few years, so this year is probably one of the heavy years, should be much less volume for the next 3-5 years. Always remember to “ call before you dig ” and call 811 to get information on buried utility infrastructure two days before any digging project. Ornamental Grasses – Ornamental grasses can be low maintenance and visually striking near pools. Because it lacks fruit, this is a very neat tree that works well around pools and patios. Trees with lots of ‘leaf litter’, excessive pollen, berries or budding debris can cause extra work for you and your pool filter. Here’s a solution: 10 hardy, drought-tolerant trees you can plant that drop less than most trees. He planted 2 maple trees back in '99 near the property line. In most cases, chlorinated water or salt pool splash-out is not much of a concern, as long as trees around a pool are regularly watered. They said the berries from crepe myrtle trees are clogging the main drain. I don’t care about shade just the looks of the tree plus I’ve been wanting one of these trees. Litter: Some trees are constantly shedding buds, flowers, leaves and bark. aculeata and P. florida. It would be close to my in ground pool 10′ to 15′ away. Recommended for tropical or non-tropical landscaping, palm trees can grow up to 50 feet tall. Would Avocado, Pistachio and Macadamia nut fit that bill? The best trees to plant around a pool include: Acacia; Banana; Citrus; Evergreens (arbor vitae, cypress, spruce) Holly and Magnolia (also evergreen) Olive trees (non fruit bearing) Succulents (cactus, stonecrop, leatherpetal) I don’t want to spend all my time outside cleaning my pool gutters and traps. I planted some shrubs that grow 4 ft max. Any tree or plant that falls within this category will lead to excessive cleaning and possible staining. Climate: Pools located in more temperate hardiness zones (southern states) have a wider variety of trees that can flourish around the pool. They have a smaller leaf and look great planted for canopy layed in a garden with ficus or syzygium. If you are curious about whether your backyard trees have aggressive roots, just google “—– tree root system”, and you can find out. We have had the trees for years without a problem. Some of the best shade trees around pools include: Palm tree. Flowering trees, fruit trees and deciduous trees (those that shed leaves during fall) may be pretty, but can be messy. Ornamental grasses and flowering vines are great options for pool side decor. It is best not to plant trees closer than 2m from the side of the pool, to allow sufficient space for tree & root development. But when strategically placed near the pool, the following trees, shrubs, and perennials would make a lovely addition to a pool area. If close enough these trees can erode the ground around your swimming pool and seek and destroy underground plumbing. I’m worried if it continues to grow it may damage the pool. But they can be trimmed! Hi Rene, keep in mind that I’m not an arborist, just a pool guy… but based on my quick google research here… both of those trees have somewhat aggressive root systems, not thin surface roots like Palms or other trees but very deep and wide roots, especially the turkey fig. Refer to the map above and look for trees that are “hardy” in your local zones. Mature heights are 20 to 40 feet, depending on variety. Fast growing evergreens may be a good choice for one or two sides of the pool. Northern pools can still use many tropicals if planted in large pots, or cut back during fall and mulched over. By doing this, the tree does most of it’s drinking on the opposite side of the pool, which discourages growth of (more) roots on the pool side of the tree, which may even shrink and recede, when the water source dries up. Make sure to choose cultivars that are fruitless, such as 'Wilsonii' or 'Monher'. Behind the block wall is a rip rap. In all cases, cutting back on water will reduce fruit yields, but will likely not kill the tree. “Try to plant trees and shrubs on the opposite side to the incoming winds.” The landscaping around your swimming pool is central to the overall look and effect you want to create for your outdoor living space. Mar 1, 2018 - We have a nice offering of trees and large shrubs at Treeland that we recommend for near pools and other outdoor areas. “It also pays to look at the way wind blows around the pool,” he says. Thanks! Hi Dave, our Houston, TX in-ground concrete pool has been dark green and usable for several months prior to and all through the summer. See more ideas about plants, plants around pool, backyard landscaping. Many pool guys will say “the best trees for a pool… is no trees at all”. Also plan ahead for access to the site, as digging equipment will need to be brought in and soil and rocks removed during the excavation and pool installation process. Unfortunately, i have only a narrow strip of land in that area, so the farthest would be 3-4 … These trees grow in USDA zones 1 through 7, … You can counteract these little pests by planting mosquito repelling varieties. Instead try aborvites, spruce, holly, red twig dogwood or fountain grasses. These trees are much admired for their changing leaves and airy, delicate shape. Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis): Best Privacy Shrubs to Grow Near the Pool Fertilizing with an acid fertilizer, such as formulation designed for azaleas, can provide this. They can be used around an in ground pool and with an above ground pool. Which why I am considering it. And most Palm trees, except for large varieties, have roots of only a foot or two deep and wide. Checkout the images below and click on the images to learn more about them and to see additional images. Any plants that grow low to the ground, plant around 6-8 feet back from the edge of the pool to avoid debris dropping into the pool. It is supposed to be a fast growing tree. Hi – most cypress trees are at least somewhat salt tolerant, so no worries,especially a tree that tall. Tip: If it says "dwarf citrus," it is probably well-suited for growing in a container. These plants also give urban farmers or those with small-space gardens an opportunity to grow a fruit-producing tree. Don recommends palm trees, cordylines and flax plants along with large leaved shrubs as ideal pool deck-friendly plants as these are easier to clean up and don’t drop leaves as often. All things considered a few recommendations for Best Palm Trees Around Pools. Lisa Hallett Taylor is a writer and editor with 12+ years experience covering architecture, landscape design, and do-it-yourself projects. If you have trees around a pool that have become undesirable tenants – you can start over, with something new! Most trees will not damage a pool wall – as long as they have somewhere else to go – and also remember, if you prune a tree as it grows, and keep it from becoming a 60 ft tree, that will reduce root growth. It’s about 2 feet from my pool and 1 ft from my wall. They have a small root ball so you won't have to worry about the roots invading your pool "wall". In summer and fall, large, showy, light-pink to rose-hued flowers bloom and are followed in the spring by large capsules that split open to release strings of white floss. The root spread is equal to the leaf spread, so keeping it pruned will slow growth. 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 100L 150L Syzygium australe 'Hinterland Gold' An ideal native shrub for hedging and screens and a good selection for around pools. Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’ are grown to thrive in desert environments. It grows to about 25 feet tall; the leaves are pale green, finely toothed, and have a tissue-paper-like texture. Bananas are also greedy for water and love good compost as fertilizer. Hi there,we are planning to install a salt water pool,and I have 14 feet cypress near the pool,any concern that the salt water will kill the plant .do you think the plant can survive the minimum splash of salt water,thanks. Crepe Myrtle will not thrive in your zone, it’s a southern tree. On the other hand, orange birds work well used in a pool planter, growing around 3 to 5 feet tall. I want to make sure that the routes don’t affect the pool at all. Dwarf varieties are beautiful foundation plants for poolside rock gardens, adding density and texture without taking up lots of space. You can also grade the spot just in front of the tree, so as to create a channel or downhill slope to move any splashout away from the tree(s), https://www.junglemusic.net/The_Areca_Palm/The_Areca_Palm.html, Energy Awareness Month – 7 Ways to Save Around the Pool, Has Fall Landed in your Pool? 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