Good Trees for Around Pools

The best trees for around pools don't drop much litter, and don't have wide-spreading root systems that can damage pool walls. Trees for pool landscaping should also not have thorns, spikes or prickles that could hurt bare skin. Palms and evergreen trees usually produce less litter than other trees, and drought-tolerant trees don't need heavy watering, which can damage decks and pool furniture. Plant all trees at least 10 feet from the pool. Trees that grow 20 to 40 feet tall should be planted at least 20 feet away, and taller trees must be planted 30 feet or farther from pools. Another option is to grow trees in containers.

Choose trees that grow well in the conditions you already have in your yard, such as dry or moist soil, or sunny or partially shaded spots.

Don't plant conifers around pools because their leaves are sensitive to chlorine gas.

Palms have small root systems that don't damage pool walls, which makes them useful for planting inside pool screen enclosures where there's little room for trees with large root systems. King sago palm (Cycas revoluta) has arching palmlike leaves 3 to 7 feet long, but it isn't technically a palm. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 10, king sago palm grows slowly to 3 to 10 feet tall and wide.

Windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), which grows in USDA zones 7 through 10, grows up to 40 feet tall in warm areas and 8 to10 feet tall in cool zones. Windmill palm leaves are dark green, fan-shaped and grow up to 3 feet wide.

Bringing year-round color, evergreen trees also don't lose all their leaves in fall, which can foul pools. Argyle-apple eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cinerea) has round, silvery blue-green leaves that give the tree its other name, silver dollar tree. Growing 6 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide in cool zones and taller in warm areas, argyle-apple grows in USDA zones 8 through 11.

Wheel tree (Trochodendron aralioides) grow 10 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, and tolerates partial or full shade. Its apple-green to yellow-green spring blooms and shiny, dark green serrated leaves add texture to the pool area. Wheel tree grows in USDA zones 6 through 7.

Growing drought-tolerant trees near pools cuts down on watering. Japanese pagoda tree 'Pendula' (Sophora japonica 'Pendula') grows 15 to 25 feet tall and wide and forms a mound of weeping branches covered in dark green leaflets. This deciduous tree provides yellow fall color but rarely flowers or produces seed pods. 'Pendula' grows in USDA zones 4 through 8.

West Indian jasmine (Plumeria alba) features white, fragrant blooms that are rarely followed by seed pods, and grows 15 to 25 feet tall and wide. Hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12, West Indian jasmine grows best in sunny spots.

Plant trees that produce litter downwind of pools.

Trees in containers pose no threat to pool walls from their root systems, and they can be moved away to avoid problems with litter. Lemon-scented gum (Eucalyptus citriodora), which grows in USDA zones 8 through 11, can grow up to 100 feet tall in the wild, but growing it in a container restricts its size. Preferring sunny spots, lemon-scented gum has smooth gray bark and lance-shaped, lemon-scented leaves.

Plumeria (Plumeria obtusa) produces fragrant, yellow-throated white blooms and shiny, dark green leaves. Growing 10 to 25 feet tall and wide, plumeria grows in USDA zones 10 through 12.