Screening Plants Around Pools In Australia - What's Best?

Choosing the right landscaping plants for your pool can be a difficult process. There are many varieties of pool-friendly plants for adding greenery and a bit of colour, but what are the best plants for providing privacy?

In this article, we will review what makes plants pool-friendly and provide a list of the best screening plants around pools for Australia.

What Makes Plants Good For Poolside Use?

Varieties of plants that are good for poolside use share the same main characteristics.

To begin, they are easy to care for and typically don’t need special attention when it comes to water and sunlight. This means that they are not too picky in terms of soil.

Pool-friendly plants also do not create drop lots of debris (such as leaves or flowers) because these are a nuisance. If they do produce flowers or shed leaves, these should be small and lightweight enough so that they can be gathered automatically by the pool’s skimmer box.

Pool-friendly plants also typically do not produce strong root systems, or else they must be planted in pots to maintain their low-maintenance status.

Finally, pool-friendly plants are tolerant of being splashed with pool water.

While some plants are very sensitive to chemicals and will die after being splashed, some plants are more resistant. When choosing poolside plants, select varieties that have resistance to both chlorine and saltwater.

Best Screening Plants Around Pools In Australia

Clumping Bamboo

Clumping bamboo is a non-invasive type of bamboo that makes a great choice for plant-based privacy screening in your yard.

Each patch of clumping bamboo can reach a maximum height of 5 metres, making it one of the tallest options on our list. These plants are very easy to care for long-term and tend to pair well with other plants that have tropical appearances.

Star Jasmine

This trailing plant is great for growing along a garden trellis to create a privacy screen for your pool. Along with its small, jade green leaves, this plant produces an intense amount of flowers.

Star jasmine is very easy to grow, has resistance to both saltwater and chlorine, and only needs to be pruned on a yearly basis.

Although this plant does drop flowers, it is often still considered a pool-friendly plant because these flowers are very easily picked up by your pool’s skimmer basket.

Viburnum Suspense Hedge

This hedge-type plant with small, vibrant green leaves makes a great privacy screen around your pool. These hedges are easy to care for, tolerant to salt and chlorine water splashes, and can grow to a height of around two metres.

Golden Cane Palm

These palms prefer indirect sunlight and showcase large leaves with slender blades that resemble thick grasses.

Planted as a singular tree or in rows, these palms make a great option for those with bigger backyards because they can be layered among other plants as part of a privacy screen.

Slender Weaver Bamboo

Slender weaver bamboo is a type of clumping bamboo that grows very easily in a variety of conditions found in Australia. This drought-tolerant plant enjoys regular watering and full sunlight, but won’t put up too much of a fuss if you forget about it for a few days.

In ideal conditions, these clumps of bamboo can reach 6 metres in height and are dense enough to provide privacy to your pool area.

Leighton’s Conifer Hedge

This fast-growing hedge makes a great choice for a privacy option due to its dense foliage and evergreen nature.

This species of hedge is drought tolerant, can adjust to different levels of sunlight, and can reach a maximum height of 10 metres. Because this hedge is so fast-growing, it will need to be pruned on a yearly basis.

Orange Jessamine

Orange jessamine is a species of small tree or shrub that produces small, white, fragrant flowers. This plant prefers soil that is well-draining, does not need to be watered often, and is fairly tolerant of splashes from pool water. This shrub can be formed into a hedge and can reach a height above 2.5 metres.

Sweet Viburnum

One of the most popular options for privacy screening around swimming pools is the sweet viburnum hedge.

Similar to viburnum suspense, this hedge produces vibrant green leaves alongside a large volume of delicate, aromatic, white blossoms. In ideal conditions, this hedge can be kept at 3 metres in height.

Glossy Abelia

Glossy abelia is a small variety of evergreen shrub that produces clusters of dainty, pink flowers.

This plant is easy to care for and takes up a lot of room when it is fully grown, providing a dense layer of privacy screen. It is one of the shortest options for screening plants with a maximum height of about 2 metres.