Whether you’re doing some pool landscaping or just redecorating, you may find yourself wondering which plants are best for the pool area. Ideally, you want pool friendly plants that are easy to maintain and won’t shed a lot of leaves. And if you’re looking for ideas, than you probably want to know whether to go with trees, shrubs, grasses, succulents, or perennials.
Well keep reading, because in this post we share over 36 pool friendly plants for you to choose from. No matter what kind of look you’re going for, you’re sure to discover plenty of great plants to add around your pool today.
36 Pool-Friendly Plants: The Best Plants For The Pool Area
TREES – Pool Friendly Plants
1.) Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Adaptable
USDA Growing Zones: 7 – 10
2.) Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Acidic Soil
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 11
3.) Mexican Blue Palm (Brahea armata)
Sun Exposure:Full Sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
USDA Growing Zones:9 – 11
4.) Kousa Dogwood
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
USDA Growing Zones: 5 – 8
5.) Paperbark Maples (Acer Griseum)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
6.) Chinese Redbuds (Cercis chinesis)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Adaptable
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
7.) Flowering Banana (Musa ornata)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Organically rich – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 11
SHRUBS – Pool Friendly Plants
8.) Red Justicia (Justicia candicans)
Sun Exposure: Light Shade, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Moist – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 10
9.) Weeping Dalea (Dalea versicolor)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 8
10.) Desert Lavender (Condea emoryi)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry, Sandy, Rocky | Sharply drained
USDA Growing Zones: 8 – 10
11.) Japanese euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
SUCCULENTS & ACCENTS – Pool Friendly Plants
12.) Octopus Agave (Agave vilmoriniana)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Sandy, Gravelly – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 -11
13.) Bird of Paradise (Strelitizia reginae)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Organically rich – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 12
14.) Pale-leaf Yucca (Yucca pallida)
Sun Exposure: Partial Sun
Soil Type: Rocky – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 7
15.) Echeveria
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Sandy, Loam – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 11
PERRENIALS – Pool Friendly Plants
16.) Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Dry, Gravelly, Sandy, Acidic – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 10
17.) African Lily (Agapanthus “Midnight Star”)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Fertile, Loam, Moist – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 8 – 11
18.) Fortnight Lily (Dietes iridioides)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Fertile, Moist, Sandy – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 8 – 11
19.) Echinacea “Amazing Dream” Coneflower
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry, Medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 10
20.) Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Average, Medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 10
21.) Helenium (Sneezeweed)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Average -a Medium drained soil
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 8
22.) Coreopsis “Berry Chiffon” (Tickseed)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry to medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9
23.) Day Lily (Hemerocallis Fulva)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Average, Moist – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
24.) Begonias (Picotee Sunburst)
Sun Exposure: Partial Sun
Soil Type: Fertile, Neutral to Slightly Acidic – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 11
25.) Hydrangea Macrophylla (Altona)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Rich, medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
26.) Hawaiian Hibiscus
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Soil Type: Dry to Moist – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones:9 – 11
27.) Kangaroo Paw
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry to moist, neutral to acidic – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 9 – 12
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES – Pool Friendly Plants
28.) Pink Muhly Grass
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Sandy or Rocky, Dry to Medium Moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 6 – 9
29.) Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigins)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Average, dry to medium – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 7 – 10
30.) Bluestem grasses
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Dry to medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
31.) Festuca ovina glauca
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Poor, moderately fertile – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 10
32.) Purple Love Grass
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Medium to light, Moderately fertile, Dry to moist – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 5 – 9
33.) Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus Heterolepis)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Average, dry to medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 9
34.) Zebra Grass
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Moderately fertile, moist – Well drained soil
USDA Growing Zones: 5 – 9
35.) Egyptian Papyrus
Sun Exposure: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Soil Type: Wet soils
USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 11
GROUNDCOVERS – Pool Friendly Plants
36.) Lantana camara mutabilis
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Average, medium moisture – Well drained
USDA Growing Zones: 10 – 12
If you liked this post, you might also like:
11 Cheap and Simple Pool Landscaping Ideas