7 Best Florida Pool Landscaping Plants

7 Best Florida Pool Landscaping Plants

Best Florida Pool Landscaping Plants

Florida is a fabulous place to live, with the weather so beautiful year-round. Unlike other US states with lockdowns, extreme weather conditions and high taxes, the Florida real estate market has been growing leaps and bounds with no end in sight.

Florida is a great place to live year-round; however, the summers can get swelteringly hot. For example, during June, July and August, in Panama Beach, FL, the weather averages 89 to 90 degrees during the day and 74-76 at night. Pretty hot, to say the least, then add the humidity, and it’s time to cool off and take a big dig into a refreshing swimming pool.

But what is a pool without the surrounding landscape? Of course, it cannot be the best unless you have family and friends who are fun. But why not have it all, a beautiful pool and landscape while impressing everyone who visits.

Here we go beyond the pool and offer you a few Florida pool landscaping plants that are Florida-friendly, pool-friendly and will look fantastic and impressively.

Seven Florida-Friendly and Pool-Friendly Plants

As we begin offering information regarding the best Florida pool landscaping plants, we remind you that we chose them because they are suitable for the Florida weather and will survive nicely in a pool area. In addition, proper landscaping of these plants will be beautiful and trouble-free with little to no maintenance.

Let’s get started with seven of the best plants to plant around your Florida swimming pool.

Bird of Paradise

Do you love color? The bird of paradise is a colorful plant with a tropical feel. They are hardy plants that grow well in the shade and full sun, making them perfect for Florida landscapes.

The birds of paradise come in two color combinations; white and blue (Strelitzia Nicolai) and orange and blue (Strelitzia Reginae). Orange birds of paradise grow three to five feet tall and look great in planters. The white birds of paradise grow to thirty feet tall and ten feet wide and are best to grow in the landscape surrounding the pool area.

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Croton

The croton (Codiaeum Variegatum) is another robust, colorful plant with mixed red, burgundy, yellow, orange, and green foliage. It is an excellent choice to achieve a tropical look and feel. They grow three to eight feet tall and are great around Florida pools because they are frost-sensitive and in Florida, they do not need protection from a harsh climate.

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Bamboo Palm

When we think of bamboo, we think of the tropics. The bamboo palm (Chamaedorea Erumpens) grows thin, tall green stalks that resemble bamboo. On the downside, they can be pretty invasive as they can quickly multiply in nearby areas. However, it grows four to twelve feet and does well in partial shade and looks great in planters and containers.

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Hibiscus

While on the topic of tropical-looking plants, how about the hibiscus (Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis)? This is an excellent choice for containers and planters that are poolside. The shrubs have glossy green evergreen leaves and display single and double flowers. The flowers can range in colors from white, pink, peach, red, purple, yellow and orange with several hues. Its mature height is six to twelve feet high and grows best in partial to full sun.

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Jade

How about succulent foliage that is thick with oval evergreen leaves? Jade plants (Crassula Ovata) are great around the pool since they are low maintenance while keeping up their beauty. They grow two to four feet tall and perform well in partial shade to full sun areas.

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Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses are a popular plant all across the country; however, some do better in certain climates vs. others. In Florida, there is a wealth of ornamental grass choices. They are perfect for adding privacy, color and texture.

The purple lovegrass (Eragrostis Spectabilis) looks beautiful year-round with reddish-purple flowers. It will grow one to three feet tall and is best planted where there is full sun.

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Agave

Well, what can we say about the agave plant? It is a hardy plant that can thrive in the sun, heat and drought, making it an excellent choice in Florida; however, many types have nasty thorns, so it would be best to plant them in the landscape away from where people will go.

Not all have nasty thorns. The spineless century plant (Agave Attenuate) is one. This agave plant is attractive with its blue-green leaves that emerge from the center rosette.

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Are You Set To Choose The Best Florida Pool Landscaping Plants?

When choosing Florida pool landscaping plants, it’s great to pick the ones you love, but due to Florida’s climate, it is essential to pick the ones that will do well, thrive, and look beautiful year-round. Also, your pool’s environment will need to be a top consideration with the pool and spa chemicals used, hardscaping and more.

Cox Pools, Florida’s leading northwest pool builder is ready to help you achieve the backyard of your dreams. We are custom pool builders offering new custom pools and spas, along with pool renovations and remodels. Contact Cox Pools to learn more about us and our services for both residential and commercial.