Your pool is your oasis and the right swimming pool landscaping makes it look like one.
However, the wrong plants might turn your peaceful pool time into extra maintenance. No one wants to clean their pool even more often.
Before you start adding some greenery around your pool, carefully consider which plants work best and most importantly, which ones to avoid.
Plants to Avoid
Trees
Roots can crack your pool and deck. Heavy shedders like Royal Poinciana fill your pool with debris. Plant near the fence line, not the pool.
Annuals
They die every year, shedding leaves and flowers into your pool. Replanting annually wastes time you could spend swimming.
Tall Grasses
Small clumps quickly take over flower beds. Sharp blades near pool edges fall into the water and clog filters.
Flowering Bushes
Large flowers drop petals one at a time into your pool. Bushes that shed leaves double the maintenance burden.
Ground Cover
Fast-spreading varieties overtake beds and creep into deck cracks. Must be contained in raised beds to stay manageable.
Non-Native Plants
Plants not suited for Hawaii's climate shed more often, die easily, and can overtake native species. Shop locally for best results.
Trees
Trees are a great addition around pools, especially smaller ornamental trees. However, there are a few things to think about first. Most importantly, don’t plant any trees too close to the pool. If you’re planting them in the ground, the roots can spread, leading to eventual cracks around your pool area and even the pool itself.
Also, try to avoid planting trees that shed easily. For example, bamboo is great, especially for creating a lush, green privacy fence, but if it’s too close, you’ll end up with a pool filled with bamboo leaves. Plant things like this close to the fence line to keep your pool cleaner.
Despite how beautiful the Royal Poinciana tree is, the colorful flowers are destined to end up filling up your pool. Opt for smaller trees to plant near your fence line, like palms, or to plant in pots that are easy to move back when leaves start to shed.
Annuals
Annuals die every year, meaning you’ll need to replant. Since they die, this leaves you leaves and flowers falling off and drifting into your pool. Plus, constantly needing to replant every year takes up valuable time that you could be spending in your pool.
When it comes to swimming pool landscaping, skip the annuals and opt for perennials instead. These come back yearly. In fact, evergreen plants tend to be the best option as they don’t shed their leaves nearly as much.
Tall Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses make a pool look great. However, that small clump you planted can quickly take over a flower bed. Plus, if you’ve planted them in pots near the edges of your pool, the sharp blades can fall into your pool.
Opt for much shorter grasses that grow between 6-12 inches high. You can plant taller ones nearer your fence line, but sweep the area regularly to keep any fallen blades away from your pool.
Flowering Bushes
Brightly colored flowers immediately make any pool look beautiful. But, for swimming pool landscaping, these could spell disaster. Larger flowers gradually fall off, often one petal at a time. Plus, some bushes may shed their leaves as well.
Small or ornamental hedges with colorful leaves work better. These are usually evergreen and don’t shed nearly as much.
Ground Cover
Ground cover isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, if you create a raised bed to contain it, it can work well around small hedges to add more color. However, be careful when planting ground cover that spreads easily. It can quickly overtake beds around your pool’s fence line.
Plus, if there are any cracks around your deck area, the ground cover can spread into these.
Non-Native Plants
Trying to grow plants that aren’t meant to grow in Hawaii can definitely cause problems. These can spread and overtake local plants. Plus, they might not grow as well in Hawaii’s climate, causing them to shed more often or die completely.
While some plants are technically native to Hawaii, they’ve been gradually brought in and have become a natural part of Hawaii’s environment. This is why it’s best to shop for swimming pool landscaping plants locally to ensure you’re getting the right things.
You can also research plants on Native Plants Hawaii. You can also check out cacti and succulents, both of which are great around pools, that work well in the area.
Pro Tip: The best poolside plants are evergreen, low-shedding, and native to Hawaii. Always plant larger species near the fence line — not next to the pool — to keep roots away from your pool shell and plumbing. Potted plants give you the flexibility to move things around seasonally without permanent root damage.
Smart Poolside Plant Choices
Evergreens don't shed leaves seasonally, meaning far less debris in your pool
Avoid heavy flower-droppers like Royal Poinciana and plumeria near the pool edge
Native species thrive in the climate, require less water, and are less likely to die and shed
Pots prevent root intrusion and let you reposition plants when shedding increases
Zero shedding, minimal water needs, and they thrive in Hawaii's sun — ideal pool companions
Short ornamental grasses add texture without dropping sharp blades into the water
Less Debris, Cleaner Pool
No matter what swimming pool landscaping you choose, regular pool maintenance is still a must. Let Koko Head Pool Service handle the cleaning so you can enjoy your pool even more.
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