Looking to give your pool’s landscape a major upgrade? You can transform the entire space with a thoughtful selection of colorful flowers, evergreen trees, ornamental grasses, and even tropical plants. The perfect poolside greenery does more than just look good. It can provide welcome shade, create a natural privacy screen from neighbors, and improve the air quality. You can quickly take your pool area from simply functional to absolutely fabulous.
So, what makes a plant perfect for placing around a pool? The best choices have non-invasive roots, don’t shed a lot of leaves, and can handle a bit of chlorine splash. Here’s a look at 19 of the best plants to bring your poolside paradise to life.
19 Best Plants Around The Pool
1. Bird of Paradise
First up is a plant that brings an immediate tropical flair. Bird of Paradise features large, deep green, and glossy leaves that resemble a banana plant’s, often growing several feet long. While the foliage is stunning on its own, the flowers are the real showstoppers, with vibrant orange sepals and striking blue petals. This plant is an excellent poolside companion because it doesn’t shed, is tolerant of drought, and isn’t bothered by a little splashing.
Hardiness zones: 10-12
2. Majesty Palm
Turn your pool area into a personal tropical retreat with elegant palm trees. The Majesty Palm, with its large, graceful fronds and impressive height, serves as a fantastic focal point. These fronds also offer plenty of welcome shade and create a sense of privacy for your lounging areas. Other great palm options for poolside planting include sago, queen, windmill, and foxtail palms.
Hardiness zones: 9-11
3. Banana Tree
If you’re looking for a fast-growing plant to fill in your poolside space, the banana tree is a wonderful pick. This herbaceous perennial sports massive, broad leaves that effectively block unwanted views while shielding you from the sun. Banana trees are an especially good fit if you live in a climate without frost. If you choose a fruit-producing variety, you might even enjoy delicious bananas straight from your backyard.
Hardiness zones: 9-10
4. Agave
This hardy succulent is perfectly suited for a poolside environment, as it’s well adapted to conditions found near both swimming pools and the ocean. Agave thrives in hot, sunny spots with very little water and is a low-shedding plant. It will give your pool area a touch of texture and desert-inspired style. Plus, its evergreen foliage ensures visual interest all year long, even when it’s not in bloom.
Hardiness zones: 8-11
5. Echeveria
Add a charming and elegant touch to your pool’s blue-green landscape with Echeveria. Its beautiful foliage comes in shades of blue, lavender, pink, or grey. These succulents are tough, drought-resistant, and flourish in sunny locations like a poolside. You can plant this compact succulent either in pots or directly in the ground, depending on your layout. Just be sure to pick a spot with enough sunlight to keep its colors vibrant.
Hardiness zones: 9-12
6. Creeping Jenny
Planting Creeping Jenny around your pool can give the space a lush, natural, carpet-like groundcover. It feels wonderful to walk on and also helps with erosion control. This plant will light up the area with its bright green leaves, which often develop golden or bronze tones when grown in full sun. In addition to being a groundcover, you can grow Creeping Jenny in containers to let its cascading foliage spill over the sides.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
7. Mondo Grass
Here is another excellent choice for a poolside groundcover. Mondo grass can also work beautifully as a standalone plant. It grows in dense tufts of narrow, arching evergreen leaves that create a lush carpet, adding rich color and texture to your pool area. Mondo grass does well in both sun and shade and needs very little maintenance. For lighter green leaves, plant it in full sun; for a darker green, choose a shadier spot.
Hardiness zones: 6-10
8. Fountain Grass
If your pool area is missing a sense of movement and texture, consider planting fountain grass. Its arching foliage and fluffy plumes sway and rustle in the breeze, reflecting in the water and effortlessly enhancing your poolside atmosphere. Fountain Grass is tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soil. It looks great throughout the growing season and may even stay evergreen in warmer climates. If you leave it unpruned, the dried flower plumes will provide visual interest during the winter.
Hardiness zones: 3-10
9. Zebra Grass
This remarkable ornamental grass is named for the horizontal stripes on its foliage, which resemble those of a zebra and give the plant an exotic appearance. When its graceful, arching fronds move in the wind, it brings a dynamic and lively feeling to the pool area. Beyond its unique foliage, Zebra Grass grows feathery silver-white or pinkish plumes that add another layer of beauty from late summer into early fall. For winter appeal, leave it uncut until the spring. Once it’s established, this grass is low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and resistant to pests and diseases.
Hardiness zones: 4-9
10. Hinoki Cypress
This evergreen conifer can grow up to 75 feet tall, making it a fantastic choice for creating a more secluded pool area. In addition to its height, its fine-textured foliage and elegant branching structure help form an effective privacy barrier. This impressive tree keeps its vibrant green color all year, providing a lush and attractive backdrop for your pool. Its delicate foliage also creates a beautiful contrast with the harder surfaces of your pool deck.
Hardiness zones: 4-8
11. Privet
Privet is another plant perfect for blocking the view of neighbors, as it grows quickly and can reach heights of 15 feet. Its dark green, glossy, and dense foliage provides excellent privacy and even helps reduce noise. Privet produces fragrant white flowers in the spring, followed by small berries in the summer or fall. You can easily prune and shape this evergreen to maintain your desired height and form. It grows well in full sun or partial shade and should be watered regularly, particularly during dry spells.
Hardiness zones: 3-8
12. Arborvitae
Many varieties of arborvitae feature a tall, narrow growth pattern, which means you can use this evergreen to create privacy without sacrificing much horizontal space. Its dense, green foliage adds year-round color to your pool area. While it can handle some shade, planting your arborvitae in bright light will encourage denser growth. Consider pruning it during the growing season to remove any dead or diseased branches.
Hardiness zones: 2-7
13. Lemongrass
Pests and insects buzzing around can certainly ruin your time by the pool. An easy fix is to plant lemongrass nearby. It contains citronella oil, which is known for masking the scents that attract mosquitoes to humans. Lemongrass also releases a lovely, citrusy fragrance that will give your pool area a refreshing aroma. On top of that, its graceful, arching foliage is beautiful and creates a soothing, rustling sound in the breeze.
Hardiness zones: 10-11
14. Lantana
Lantana will fill your pool area with a sweet and fruity fragrance that has hints of floral notes and citrus. It also produces vibrant, colorful flowers that add a pop of color and attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds, bringing your poolside to life. This shrub is an ideal choice for a pool area that gets a lot of reflected sunlight and high temperatures, as it is very tolerant of heat and sun. It’s also low-maintenance and has a long blooming season.
Hardiness zones: 8-11
15. Japanese Maple
This deciduous perennial is one of the most beautiful trees you can find, so why not use it to boost your pool area’s style? Japanese maples are excellent focal point plants, with their graceful shape and delicate leaves in shades of purple, green, orange, or red. Larger varieties are great for adding height and shade, while dwarf varieties are perfect for smaller spaces. Though its root system is solid, it is non-invasive.
Hardiness zones: 5-8
16. Canna Lily
Plant canna lilies around your pool for a touch of exotic beauty. This prolific bloomer will produce bright flowers all through the growing season, guaranteeing your pool area stays colorful and stunning for much of the year. It also features large, tropical-looking leaves. Be sure to choose a canna lily variety whose color complements your pool area’s existing color scheme or creates a dramatic contrast.
Hardiness zones: 7-10
17. Frangipani
Valued for its fragrant flowers, which are often described as exotic, tropical, and a little spicy, frangipani is a fantastic addition to any pool area. It blooms in the spring and summer. This plant needs a lot of warmth to thrive, so be sure to plant it in full sunlight. Also, be careful with moisture, as frangipani does not like wet conditions. If you grow it in pots, ensure there is good drainage. Water it only during the spring and summer.
Hardiness zones: 10-11
18. Fountain Bamboo
Consider this plant for the parts of your pool area where you want to maintain a tidy appearance. Fountain bamboo forms tight, dense foliage that can grow up to 10 feet tall, creating a visual screen and providing privacy. It also does not spread aggressively, so it won’t take over your poolside landscape. The rustling sound of fountain bamboo can help mask unwanted noises. It also doesn’t need to be pruned and shaped like other plants to keep it looking great.
