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Foxtail
Fern
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picture to see larger image) |
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| Courtesy
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Yellow
Flag Iris
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| Courtesy
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Ruellia
Kati
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Dear
Craig,
I
have a mesquite tree next to my pool that is very messy.
I don’t want to face another swimming season skimming leaves,
flowers and pollen from my pool. The tree has got to go.
Since I’m going to have it removed, I want to relandscape
that entire area. What types of plants are good for planting
close to the pool?
Shirley
in Phoenix
Dear
Shirley,
I
faced a similar problem while working with the DIY TV series
“Garden Sense.” The primary
objective
of the show was to use sensible plant choices for planting
around a swimming pool. My subject was a home in Ahwatukee
that had many non‑sensible plant choices located very
close to the pool. There were several bougainvilleas and
oleanders planted within two feet of the water’s edge. The
bougainvilleas looked great, mainly because, around water,
frost damage is less; however, the leaf and bract litter
was tremendous. The litter not only caused a daily maintenance
problem, but also caused the filtration system to bog down.
Many
unknowing homeowners install plants that look really good
at the moment without an understanding of growth patterns,
litter and root structures. You can’t blame them for wanting
something that makes their home look better or gives the
pool area the feeling of a tropical oasis. With so many
beautiful plants available, proper knowledge of their growth
habits, root structure and litter will aide in the selection
of sensible choices for planting around a pool.
If
you don’t have a clue which plants are best suited for your
pool area, the first thing I recommend is talking with an
experienced nursery professional, a landscape architect
or a designer. They should be able to help you make the
best selections.
Stay
away from large‑growing palms like the Mexican fan
palm, California fan palm and Date palms. The monocot
root systems could cause damage to the pool structure.
Smaller palms work well.
Avoid
heavy litter trees like Mesquite, Sweet Acacias, Paloverde,
Ash spp, Chinaberry and Elms. Not only do these trees
drop a tremendous amount of foliage, but some of them
have strong root structures that may cause damage to the
shotcrete pool shell. Ficus trees look great around a
pool, but their massive, invasive roots and constant litter
also pose a similar problem. Many of our desert trees
drop bean pods or large seeds that may cause additional
problems to the pump and hydraulic system. I have seen
cases where the leaf litter from Mesquites planted within
40 feet of a pool actually created chlorine‑resistant
algae to form.
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