When it comes to creating beautiful pool landscaping, knowing the right plants to add can be very difficult. You need to ensure that you are choosing trees, bushes, and flowers that are able to thrive in the microclimate that occurs around your pool.
Carefully researching the various different plants available to you can help you create the perfect pool landscaping for your home. When doing this, there are several things that you need to consider, such as whether your pool is heated and how close your pool will be to your plants.
What are the best plants for swimming pool landscaping?
To help you with creating a stunning pool area in your home, we have taken a closer look at 18 of the most popular plants and trees you can use:
1) Banana Tree
The banana tree is a popular choice for those looking to create a tropical pool landscape in their garden. The tree can thrive in mild regions, and they are a very fast-growing plant, ensuring you can quickly transform your exterior.
2) Hawaiian Hibiscus
The Hawaiian Hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii, and there are an array of species to choose from, each one coming in a huge variety of colors. This can help you to create a stunning backdrop to your pool; however, it is important to remember that the Hibiscus requires a lot of water.
3) Bird of Paradise
Looking for tropical pool landscaping? The Bird of Paradise flower is a fantastic choice that can quickly transform your space. Just like the banana plant, it thrives best in warm conditions and is sheltered from the wind. What makes this plant the best for pool landscaping is its ability to tolerate splashing from pool activities and does not shed its leaves.
4) Zebra Grass
Zebra grass is another fantastic plant for pool landscaping, with the ornamental grass suitable for blending in with other plants with ease. The grass looks incredibly striking day and night, with the horizontal striping helping to create a tropical aesthetic for your pool.
5) Egyptian Papyrus
Egyptian Papyrus is a perfect choice for pool landscaping, with the stunning plant thriving in areas of high moisture. For the best aesthetic appeal, you should consider pairing the Egyptian Papyrus with other plants that like heavy humidity, such as the Equisetum Horsetail, to help create an exotic environment.
6) Angel’s Trumpet
For those homeowners looking to add a splash of delicate color to your pool landscaping. These gorgeous flowers not only look fantastic in their array of vibrant shades, but they also have an incredible scent that can transform your pool area. They do not have a high tolerance for cold weather, so you should consider bringing them inside during the winter months.
7) Echeveria
The Echeveria plant is native to Mexico and offers a velvet feel when touched. These are a great flower for outdoor pool landscaping as they have very high drought tolerance, meaning they are perfect for rock gardens. They can also be used in planters to be placed around the edge of your pool.
8) Kangaroo Paw
Offering an array of colors, including red, yellow, orange, white, and pink, the Kangaroo Paw flower originally hails from Australia and provides a stunning backdrop to your poolside. These are a very elegant flower that can create a rich and graceful landscape.
9) Martha Washington Geranium
This particular plant blooms from early spring through to the late fall, meaning it will be providing a rich variety of colors throughout the swimming season. They often resemble tropical flowers, and they are a great addition as part of an array of your pool landscaping plants.
10) Proteas
Another beautiful plant that originates from Australia, the Proteas flower is a prickly and stiff plant, which ensures that it is very long-lasting and durable. If you are looking for unique pool landscaping, then mixing the Proteas in with other tropical plants such as the Hibiscus can create a stunning backdrop.
11) Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
Offering an array of beautiful green, gold, and brown shades alongside a splash of red and purple, the Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine is a striking addition to your poolside. These plants are best used in containers or planters and placed around your pool.
12) Agave Attenuata
This Mexican plant grows very well in warm and dry conditions and can look fantastic in flowerbeds around your poolside. Not only are they beautiful, but these lush green plants are also incredibly low maintenance and can survive with very little watering.
13) Hebe
The Hebe plant is a popular choice for pool landscaping thanks to its exotic and vibrant appearance. This helps to create a striking finish around the edge of your swimming pool, and the plant is available in an array of colors, allowing you to create the perfect finish.
14) Aeonium
The Aeonium plant is often one that homeowners overlook when it comes to pool landscaping; however, they are starting to grow in popularity. They have an incredibly high drought tolerance, which ensures that they can be used in warm and dry areas, and they look great when mixed among more vibrant plants.
15) Jade
Although commonly used as a houseplant, the Jade plant is also a wonderful choice for your pool. It is incredibly fast-growing and can spread out amongst your flowerbed to add rich foliage. The plant is also very low maintenance and does not require much watering.
16) Staghorn Fern
This tropical fern is often found growing on trees, but if you do not have a nearby one, then you can instead mount them on bark or wood slabs. The Staghorn Fern can also be grown in hanging baskets, which means they are a highly versatile solution, no matter the pool landscaping you are opting for.
17) Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny is a vigorous and fast-growing plant that can quickly fill in the spaces between your other plants. It thrives best when placed in full sun, but it can also grow well in partial shade. The bright yellow colors will ensure it stands out from the crowd and helps to add the perfect finishing touch to your landscape.
18) Scheffleras
Another plant that originally hails from Australia, Scheffleras has adapted well to warm climates across the globe, and it thrives when planted near a swimming pool in moist and well-drained soil. When combined with other tropical plants, it can help you to create a fantastic pool landscaping that will attract the attention of your guests and create a stunning backdrop.
Final Thoughts
Pool landscaping can be a very complex task, but with the right planning and research, you can find the perfect plants to accompany your poolside. These eighteen plants offer a fantastic array of benefits for any garden, thriving in various climates and requiring different levels of maintenance. However, they are not the only options available to you.
If you are looking to transform your pool exterior and add a splash of color to your garden, but are not sure where to begin, then stop by Jacksons Home & Garden, we’ll be able to help you find the perfect solution.