Greenery is essential for every outdoor area, including backyards with pools. Without plants, pools might appear empty, dull, and unwelcoming.
A backyard pool can be instantly transformed from boring to spectacular by surrounding it with unique plants, colorful flowers, or towering trees.
These botanical enhancements not only contribute to the visual charm but also provide additional advantages, such as establishing a natural barrier for privacy or offering shade as you enjoy your swim.
Confused about which plants to consider for your poolside area?
Explore 10 gorgeous planting choices with Rescape Design to enhance your backyard pool!
Kangaroo Paw
Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos spp.) is an ideal choice for poolside landscaping in Australia. Its unique tubular flowers, resembling kangaroo paws, add vibrant splashes of color and attract native birds. This distinctive plant is best for poolside areas due to its resilience in poolside conditions and ability to thrive with minimal care.
✔ Best for: Poolside landscaping, adding a touch of Australian flora.
✔ Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.
✔ Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade, making it adaptable to various poolside locations.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil is preferred and tolerant of sandy or loamy soil types.
✔ Flower Color: Available in a range of hues, including vibrant reds, yellows, and greens, enhancing the poolside aesthetic.
Kangaroo Paw’s hardiness and striking appearance make it a standout choice for creating a visually appealing and low-maintenance poolside environment.
Frangipani
Frangipani (Plumeria spp.) is an ideal poolside plant renowned for its tropical allure and low-maintenance nature. With fragrant, vibrant blooms and an enticingly exotic appearance, it transforms pool areas into serene retreats. Key attributes include:
✔ Best For: Enhancing the aesthetic appeal of pool surroundings..
✔ Type: Deciduous tropical shrub or small tree
✔ Sun Exposure: Thrives in full sun, essential for robust flowering.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil to prevent waterlogging.
✔ Flower Color: Varied hues such as white, pink, yellow, or red, adding a burst of color.
Frangipani’s non-invasive roots and drought tolerance make it suitable for poolside landscapes, providing beauty and fragrance without compromising pool maintenance. Its resilience to pool chemicals further cements its status as a top choice for Australian pool areas.
Bird of Paradise
The Bird of Paradise, or Strelitzia reginae, stands out as an ideal poolside plant with its tropical allure and practical features. Its striking banana-like foliage and vibrant, bird-shaped flowers add an exotic touch to the pool area. Here’s why it’s best for poolside:
✔ Best for: Creating a tropical ambiance, adding visual interest, and resisting pool chemicals.
✔ Type: Ornamental evergreen perennial.
✔ Sun Exposure: Thrives in full sun, making it perfect for poolside locations with ample sunlight.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil; tolerates a variety of soil types.
✔ Flower Color: Striking orange and blue hues, creating a bold and attractive display.
The Bird of Paradise not only enhances aesthetics but also withstands poolside conditions, making it a resilient and visually appealing choice.
Agave
Agave (Agave spp.) stands out as an ideal poolside plant for several reasons. Its robust and striking succulent nature makes it perfect for pool environments. Here’s why:
✔ Best for: Agave provides a contemporary and low-maintenance aesthetic.
✔ Type: It belongs to the succulent family, characterized by its rosette-shaped leaves and distinctive, often spiky appearance.
✔ Sun Exposure: Thriving in full sun, Agave is well-suited for the bright and sunny conditions typically found around pools.
✔ Soil Needs: Agave is adaptable to various soil types but requires well-draining soil to prevent waterlogging, a crucial factor in poolside landscaping.
✔ Flower Color: While Agave is known for its architectural form, it typically produces tall flower spikes with white to yellow blooms, adding an extra element of visual interest.
With its resilience, low water requirements, and striking appearance, Agave enhances the poolside atmosphere, creating a stylish and hassle-free landscape.
Cordyline
Cordyline, a striking plant for poolside landscapes, boasts graceful, arching foliage that enhances tropical aesthetics.
Its adaptability to various light conditions makes it perfect for creating an appealing atmosphere around pools. This evergreen plant adds a touch of exotic charm with its vibrant leaves. Best suited for small to medium spaces. Cordyline stands out as a visually captivating and practical choice for poolside greenery.
✔ Best for: Poolside landscaping, tropical ambiance.
✔ Type: Evergreen shrub.
✔ Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil.
✔ Flower Color: Varied, including shades of red and green.
The Dwarf Umbrella Tree
The Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Schefflera arboricola) is also an ideal poolside companion. Its compact size makes it perfect for smaller spaces, and its evergreen nature ensures a lush look year-round.
Adaptable to various light conditions, it thrives in both sun and part shade, offering flexibility in placement. With its glossy, umbrella-like leaves, this plant adds a touch of elegance to pool areas. It’s best for creating a green border, providing privacy, and requiring minimal maintenance.
While it doesn’t produce showy flowers, its vibrant greenery more than compensates for a picturesque poolside ambiance.
✔ Best for: Green borders, privacy.
✔ Type: Evergreen shrub.
✔ Sun Exposure: Sun to part shade.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil, salt-tolerant.
✔ Flower Color: Insignificant flowers.
Lomandra
Lomandra, a versatile grass-like plant, is an ideal choice for poolside landscaping in Australia. Its adaptability to harsh conditions and low maintenance make it a popular option. Here are key points:
✔ Best for: Pool edges, landscaping borders.
✔ Type: Tough, grass-like perennial.
✔ Sun Exposure: Thrives in full sun to part shade.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil, adaptable to various soil types.
✔ Flower Color: Typically cream to yellowish spikes.
Lomandra’s resilience against heat, drought, and salt, coupled with its attractive, arching foliage, creates a lush and practical poolside setting without compromising on aesthetics or upkeep.
Blue Agapanthus
Blue Agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox), renowned for its vibrant clusters of trumpet-shaped blue flowers, stands as an ideal choice for poolside landscaping. Its suitability is underscored by several factors:
✔ Best for: Pool edges and landscaping, creating a colorful border.
✔ Type: Hardy perennial, easy to grow and maintain.
✔ Sun Exposure: Thrives in full sun to part shade, adaptable to various light conditions.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil, but adaptable to different soil types.
✔ Flower Color: Striking blue flowers in clustered formations, adding a visually appealing touch to the pool area.
This Agapanthus variant’s hardiness, adaptability, and vivid blooms make it a perfect complement to poolside settings.
The Dwarf Date Palm
The Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) is an ideal choice for poolside landscaping, standing out for its compact size and graceful appearance.
This slow-growing palm features feather-like fronds that evoke a tropical ambiance. Its suitability for poolside settings is underscored by several factors:
✔ Best for: Enhancing poolside aesthetics, creating a tropical atmosphere.
✔ Type: Ornamental palm with a dwarf habit.
✔ Sun Exposure: Thrives in full sun to partial shade.
✔ Soil Needs: Well-draining soil; adaptable to various soil types.
✔ Flower Color: Creamy yellow to light orange, though flowering is infrequent.
With its manageable size, resilience, and exotic charm, the Dwarf Date Palm complements pool environments beautifully.
Final Words
Transforming your poolside space into a lush oasis involves selecting the perfect plants that thrive in Australia’s unique climate.
From the iconic palms to the fragrant Frangipani, each plant brings its own charm to the outdoor setting. Consider a mix of these plants to create a harmonious and visually appealing landscape that enhances the enjoyment of your pool.
With the right selection of plants, you can turn your poolside area into a captivating retreat where you can relax, unwind, and bask in the beauty of nature.
Want Assistance from Skilled Pool and Landscape Experts?
Our skilled team of landscape architects and designers at Rescape Designs has a wealth of experience creating backyard pool landscaping designs.
We offer professional assistance and valuable insights regarding optimal plant selections and arrangements that harmonize seamlessly with various poolscapes and distinct microclimates. Our adherence to sound landscape design principles ensures the delivery of visually stunning and imaginative designs for all our clients.
With over 15 years of experience in landscape design and installation, our Australia-based landscaping team is aptly skilled. We can lead design projects involving pool landscaping of various degrees of difficulty. Initiate your project by reaching out to us today!
