Ideas for Pool Landscaping in Arizona

Landscaping around Arizona swimming pools can add color, texture and interest to the pool area, along with shade, privacy and windbreaks. Many pool owners are hesitant to add plants around their pool for fear they will create a nuisance through the dropping of plant litter, attracting bees or other problems. With a little forethought, these concerns do not have to prevent you from enjoying some greenery around your pool. Some ideas for landscaping around your pool include a selection of plants that have little litter, using container plantings rather than planting in the ground, and keeping plants near the pool but not at pool's edge for a windbreak or privacy screen. When selecting plants, make sure you check your growing zone. Use the Sunset Western Garden Book's growing zones, as they are more accurate for Western climates than USDA zones. All Western nurseries are familiar with this classification.

Trees
- Trees that are neat enough for poolside planting include shoestring acacia (Acacia stenophylla) and Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), both of which are ideal for Sunset Zones 12 and 13 that include the Arizona desert regions.
  
  Palms -- which, technically, are not trees -- are considered the original oasis feeling go-to plant, and are appropriate for poolside plantings. Varieties include Mexican blue palm (Brahea armata) and Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), which grow well in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13.
Shrubs
- Neat shrubs include Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf', Indian hawthorn (Raphiolepsis indica) and Chrysactinia (Chrysactinia mexicana). Arizona rosewood (Vauquelinia californica) is a desert native shrub, and makes an excellent screening plant. All of these are hardy in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13.
Ground Cover
- Good poolside ground covers include Chrysactinia, blue euphorbia (Euphorbia rigida) and 13 and Dalea capitata, all all of which thrive in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13. These varieties are not suitable for walking on.
Container Plants
- If you want to avoid planting around the pool in the ground, containers are a great alternative. Not only do you have a choice of either planting no fuss perennials, but you could opt to planting annual flowers that would bring in a different flower display several times a year. Selecting brightly colored pottery also adds to the poolside décor.
  
  Perennial suggestions include trailing rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus). These are hardy in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13. Red justicia (Justicia candicans) is hardy only in Sunset Zone 13.
  
  Annual flowers for pots include pansies and petunias in the early spring and winter, Gaillardia pulchella or Gomprena globosa in the summer and fall.
Windbreaks and Screens
- If you want to avoid planting next to the pool, but would like to provide a windbreak to keep debris down, plant dense shrubs or trees at least 10 feet away. Evergreen shrubs that provide good screening include oleander (Nerium oleander), which thrive in different hardiness zones depending on the species. Arizona rosewood and Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) do well in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13. Good windbreak trees include Eucalyptus microtheca and Afghan pine (Pinus eldarica), wich are also are hardy in Sunset Zones 10, 12 and 13.

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Ideas for Pool Landscaping in Arizona

Trees

Shrubs

Ground Cover

Container Plants

Windbreaks and Screens