pools in Georgia

Having a backyard pool not only adds hours of fun for the entire family but also increases your home’s value. Best of all, you can create your own lush and inviting oasis by planting trees around the area. However, trees around pools can be nice visually, but sometimes they can also be a disaster, creating hours of work and unnecessary expenses. Before planting a tree near your pool, make sure it is pool-friendly.

What are Pool-Friendly Plants and Trees?

When it comes to selecting pool-friendly plants and trees, you have a vast variety of choices of those that work well bringing non-stop beauty to the area. However, when making your selections you’ll want to choose those that offer all the positive qualities you’re looking for instead of those that offer nothing but headaches.

Pool-friendly trees possess the following qualities:

  • They don’t have aggressive root systems that can potentially damage the deck or pool itself with their growth.
  • Their mature size won’t outgrow the area, which is especially true if the vicinity where the tree resides is screened.
  • They are hardy growing in your locale’s weather conditions.
  • They have an evergreen habit and don’t experience seasonal leaf drops which creates hours of work and can damage pool filters.
  • They can thrive in the location’s conditions and don’t require an abundance of water to survive.

Do your homework first. When you’re selecting pool-friendly trees for the area, always get to know the potential selection’s qualities and growth habits before making the purchase. This almost guarantees you won’t bring home a tree that’s going to have you pulling your hair out once installed and the problems begin.

Things to Consider Before Placing Trees Around Pools

Once you’ve researched the potential candidates of pool trees, there are some important aspects you’ll need to consider. Trees around pools shouldn’t require a ton of work to retain their good looks and healthy growth. You’ll want to make sure to plant the correct pool-friendly tree in the appropriate location. Before planting be sure to familiarize yourself with the areas available for planting your pool trees. Important things you’ll need to consider before you start planting trees around a pool include:

  • Will the trees be growing outside a screened area or directly inside?
  • How big is the planting area, especially if beds are pre-installed into the pool deck?
  • How big do the trees get and do they create large amounts of litter?
  • How much sun does the pool area receive and how much shade?
  • What are the surrounding soil conditions?
  • What are your design goals? Are you looking for a lush tropical feel or creating a bit of privacy?
  • Will you be growing the trees in pots or planting them directly in the ground?

It’s always best to familiarize yourself with not only the habits of the desired pool tree but also with the area and what it offers. This assures you’ll be spending more time enjoying a problem-free pool area than dealing with avoidable problems.

Shade

Between pool decks and sunshine, pool areas can get quite hot especially during summer. One of the main reasons for having a pool is creating an area where you can cool off in the refreshing water during these periods of hot weather. For this reason, you might want to plant yourself a bit of shade so you can escape the sun’s brutal rays beating down on you.

The best shade trees around pools contain all the qualities of pool-friendly trees but develop canopies that block some of the sunshine. Having strategically placed shade trees will instantly cool the area and the lower light conditions beneath them create an area for low-growing plants that don’t perform well situated in blasting sun.

Many deciduous trees produce expanding canopies but the litter they create especially during fall and winter create mounds of work and potential problems. This is why you should steer away from using these types of shade trees in pool areas.

Evergreen pool-friendly trees such as palms offer large canopies without all the mess. You’ll get all the benefits of shade without all the extra work.

Privacy

Are you seeking privacy around a pool to block the view from nosey neighbors, reduce the amount of noise, or an unsatisfactory view? The best trees for pool privacy are not deciduous and are evergreens producing fast growth.

With fast-growing evergreens you won’t be waiting a lifetime for them to grow to a size that produces a private setting and best of all, you don’t have to worry about the constant problem of dropping leaves.

Although many deciduous trees might be beautiful during the warm growing season, once fall and winter arrive the problems begin. You lose any privacy due to the tree’s natural habit of losing all its foliage, which leaves you with a constant mess to deal with.

The best trees for privacy around your pool contain all the qualities of a pool-friendly tree with the addition of producing a thick and lush canopy that blocks an outside view.

Maintenance

All plants including pool-friendly trees require some type of maintenance from time to time. This might include trimming off a dead branch or collecting a few dropped leaves. However, you don’t want a fussy tree that requires constant maintenance to keep the area clean of debris or to retain its good looks.

This is a big reason why deciduous trees aren’t a good fit as pool trees. You’ll find yourself spending too much time dealing with all the litter than relaxing in the pool area enjoying your lush green surroundings.

Even evergreens can require some maintenance and will occasionally drop their dead foliage. If you’re looking for an almost maintenance-free pool-friendly tree then you can’t go wrong with palm trees. The only maintenance you’ll find yourself doing is cutting off an occasional dead frond or trimming off any seed bunches produced to cut down on potential litter.

Pool life can be quite easy and maintenance-free with palm trees.

The Worst Trees to Plant Near a Pool

trees bad for your pool

As stated above, deciduous trees of all types are some of the worst trees to plant near a pool. Even planting deciduous trees outside of an unscreened pool area and into the yard will only see the dropped foliage blowing into the area and inside the pool.

The only times a deciduous tree might work planted around a pool is if the pool is screened and the tree is planted outside of the screened area. The screen will block any fallen leaf debris from blowing into the pool and onto the deck.

Some additional worst trees to plant near a pool include those with aggressive root systems or those that seek moisture. The root system ends up seeking water from the pool and can end up cracking your deck and even damaging the pool creating expensive repairs.

Trees you should avoid due to aggressive moisture-seeking root systems include:

  • Willows of all types
  • Silver Maple
  • Cottonwood
  • American Elm

Other worst trees to plant near a pool are those that are not only messy but cause potential staining and attract insects. Examples include:

  • Mulberry
  • All fruit trees
  • Nut trees like pecans
  • Flowering trees creating a mess with dropped blooms.

Additional trees you should avoid planting in or around a pool area are needle-bearing trees like pines. The dropped needles not only are messy but can slip past the skimmer basket and end up clogging up and breaking your pool pump’s impeller, leading to a costly repair.

 

The Best Trees to Plant Around a Pool

First and foremost, the best trees to plant around a pool are pool-friendly. On top of adding beauty and a lush green appeal to the area, they tick all the boxes for what makes a pool-friendly tree. The best pool-friendly trees won’t lead to future problems or create large messes for you to deal with.

A quick summary of qualities the best trees for swimming pool areas require include:

  • Hardy growing in the area’s climate and the pool area’s allowed bed space, light, and soil conditions.
  • Evergreen and not deciduous and doesn’t have aggressive root systems. Produce the desired look, shade, or privacy.
  • Aren’t messy.

Palm trees are some of the best trees for pool areas as they tick all these boxes, as well as pump up a lavish atmosphere of tropical lushness and offer year-round greenery. The addition of palms to your pool area will have you feeling like you’re on that dream vacation to the tropics in the privacy of your own backyard.

Although other evergreens will perform well in the pool area like hollies, some of the great qualities of palms as pool-friendly trees include:

  • Roots grow straight down instead of spreading horizontally throughout the area.
  • Drought-tolerant and don’t require large amounts of moisture.
  • Grow in a range of light and well-drained soil conditions.
  • Low-maintenance requirements and not messy.
  • Varieties are available to create shade or privacy.
  • Adds an instant tropical feel and atmosphere.

Whatever specific tree you decide to go with, just make sure it’s pool-friendly and won’t create future problems or work. Choosing the best trees to plant around a pool results in the area working to make you feel relaxed and not you working the area because of a problem tree.

Yes, You Can Place Palm Trees Around Pools in Georgia!

georgia palm trees

When most people think of palm trees they most likely imagine a warm sunny beach with palm fronds flowing in the breeze. In Georgia, you probably think of your neighbor Florida. However, don’t let this warm beachy thought fool you.

Although every area is different when it comes to climates and what will and won’t grow there and despite its cold winters, various palm trees grow well in Georgia, even the Metro-Atlanta area.

In fact, and depending on the type of palm tree, palm trees thrive in the area not only during the warm months of spring and summer but year-round. Be sure to check the USDA grow zone you are located in, and the minimum temperatures for the cold hardy palms we sell to make sure they are a good match for you!

So if you live in Metro-Atlanta or its surrounding areas and have always dreamed of having a pool with palm trees, you can let that dream become a reality. Many types of palm trees and pools make good companions and even in Atlanta, you can enjoy a pool with palm trees all the while growing your tropical oasis in your backyard.

Different Types of Pool  Palm Trees

Like all types of trees, palms offer a variety of different characteristics. You can place cold-hardy or annual palms by the pool in the Atlanta area. Patio palm trees come in an array of different sizes from low-growing to those that are quite tall. Their fronds range from flowy and feathery to fan-shaped, as well as from green to silvery. They are a great way to add instant tropical elegance to your pool or patio, without breaking the bank or any installation.

If you would like a more permanent option, there are a number of cold-hardy palms that look great around the pool. Our bestselling cold-hardy Pool palm trees are Sabal Palms and Pindo Palms. 

Regardless of whether you’re looking for a cold-hardy palm or an annual type like our Patio Palms that performs well during the warm season, Atlanta Palms is here to assist in helping you find pool palm trees that fit your desires.

Annual Palm Trees

annual palm trees

Annual palm trees grow best in warm climates and although some are more cold-hardy than others, they won’t tolerate prolonged freezing temperatures. They require protection during winters in the Metro-Atlanta or surrounding areas when utilized as palm trees for the pool area.

However, they make beautiful potted palm trees for pool areas used during the warmer months of the year. These palms make attractive annual specimens pumping up the tropical flavor, as well as used to add appeal to special events or your business.

If you desire to own and use an annual palm trees near a pool and if feasible because the palm isn’t too large, you can always bring the palm indoors to a bright, warm location during the cold conditions. Once the weather warms you can transport the annual palm back outdoors.

Atlanta Palms sells the following Patio Palms, tropical palms that can be placed anywhere around the pool or patio area in order to create instant atmosphere with no installation needed.

1. Pygmy Date Palm:  Also called Robellini palm, these trees offer an elegant look with their feathery fronds flowing gracefully atop three trunks highlighting peg-like leaf bases. These are slow-growing, shorter palm trees for pool areas that work well as specimens, accent plants, or used to create privacy.

2. Christmas Palm: Christmas palm trees add an instant tropical appeal and elegance used as pool palm trees with their long flowing feathery fronds atop smooth single trunks. These annual palms make stunning specimens, accent plants, as well as adding a bit of light shade to your pool area.

cold hardy palms

When it comes to cold-hardy palm trees, Atlanta Palms has a fine selection of cold hardy palm trees that are hardy to various degrees depending on the type of palm, in Metro-Atlanta and the surrounding areas.

These palms allow you to live your dream of having a pool with palm trees and experience your little slice of a tropical wonderland year-round. 

These palms allow you to live your dream of having a pool with palm trees and experience your little slice of a tropical wonderland year-round.

  1. 1. Windmill Palms: Besides their unique beauty, windmill palm trees are quite cold-hardy withstanding temperature drops down to 5°and short drops down to 0°. The fan-shaped fronds resemble a windmill and the fibrous-lined trunk offers the palm additional protection from the cold. These make tall, cold-hardy, shade-producing pool palm trees.

2. Sabal Palm: Native sabal palm trees make great pool palm trees, standing up to wind and cold temperatures of 10℉ and short lower dips to 5°F. The palm is tall and stately filled with a canopy of fan-shaped fronds. The tree works well to produce shade, as well as as a specimen to give the pool area an instant feel of the tropics.

3. European Fan Palm: European fan palm trees withstand temperatures of 10℉ and brief dips to 5℉. The palm produces robust canopies packed with fan-shaped fronds atop single trunks. They make perfect pool palm trees to add privacy or can be used wherever you desire a blast of tropical appeal in the area as Single Trunk European Fan Palm or a smaller 30 gallon.

4. Dwarf Palmetto Palm: Dwarf palmetto trees are native to Georgia, cold-hardy to 5℉, and withstand brief dips to 0℉, making them great palm trees for pools located in the Metro-Atlanta areas. The tough slow-grower develops a lush green canopy filled with large fan-shaped fronds atop a single trunk. It also comes in a multi trunk variety. As a pool palm tree, it adds privacy, shade, enhances a tropical atmosphere, and makes an attractive specimen or accent plant.

5. Pindo Palm: Most cold-hardy feathery frond palm, tolerating winter lows of 10℉ and brief dips to 5°F, pindo palm trees make showy and additions used by pools. Slow-growing sporting bluish-green feathery fronds, the palm offers the added bonus of offerings of edible fruit. Its thick and robust canopy makes the palm work well used for shade, privacy, or as a showy specimen or accent plant.

6. Mule Palm: Mule palm trees offer all the tropical looks of the frost-sensitive coconut palm but tolerate cold winters, withstanding temperatures of 15℉ and brief dips to 10℉. Fast-growing with an extensive dense canopy, the palm is a great pool palm tree for areas that need to be shady, or to create a backdrop behind lounge chairs. The arching green feathery fronds atop single trunks assure this palm will be an eye-catching addition wherever used around the pool.

Small Palm Plants

small palm plants

When thinking about a palm tree you might naturally visualize tall towering trees. However, not every palm develops into large trees as some remain relatively low to the ground. This makes them very useful and showy utilized as fillers, for privacy or ground covers.

Just like cold-hardy taller palm varieties that grow well in Metro-Atlanta and its surrounding areas, there are various choices in cold-hardy small palm trees for the pool area.

Atlanta Palms is happy to offer the following smaller and lower growing palm plants: 

  1.  Needle Palm: Native needle palm trees  are cold-hardy to 0°F with short dips to -5℉ and have a clumping and spreading habit, forming dense canopies of deeply divided fan-shaped fronds. It slowly obtains an average height of 4 to 6 feet when in USDA zones 6-8. It is one of the best palms for pools, given its tolerance of wet soils and marshy areas. The hardy palm is useful and attractive, used as a ground cover or to fill in bare areas with instant greenery, without being affected by the constant splashing and wet soil that comes with the pool area.
  2. Green Saw Palmetto: A sturdy and hardy Georgia native that’s cold-hardy, the green saw palmetto withstands lows of 10℉ with drops to 5°F. The lower growing palm develops multiple trunks covered in lush canopies of small and stiff fan-shaped fronds. Like other small palm trees for pool areas, it’s attractive used as a filler, ground cover, and even for added privacy, as the slow-grower eventually grows 5-6 feet tall when in USDA zones 7b-8, and can grow up to 10 feet when in USDA zones 9-11.
  3. Silver Saw Palmetto: Silver saw palmettos offer all the desired qualities and uses of its relative, the Green Saw Palmetto, including its cold hardiness. The major difference is this palmetto sports showy silvery-blue fan-shaped fronds, which can add extra appeal to your pool area.
  4. Dwarf Palmetto: Dwarf Palmettos are a Georgia native palm tree is cold hardy down to 5°F, with short dips to 0°F. The round, bluish-green, fan-like fronds are divided into segments and attached to smooth stems growing up to 5 feet tall. These slow growers typically form multiple trunks but can be trained into a single trunk specimen. They are great for privacy screens, near fences, or even on its own as a standalone palm.

The Best Palm Trees for Pool Areas

You have many options to choose from when purchasing a palm tree for your pool area. Much of this decision is based on your geographical location, design goals and budget. Not everyone wants or can spend the amount of money involved in buying a larger specimen for an instant effect, and waiting for a cold-hardy palm to reach its mature size can take years. Patio Palms are an inexpensive solution to those who want a tropical atmosphere in their pool, patio, or balcony, but would rather not commit to a more permanent cold-hardy palm.

Some of the Patio Palms we carry at Atlanta Palms are the Pygmy Date Palm tree and the Christmas Palm. Both of these are great options, and you can conveniently place them around your pool or patio in containers to create the tropical vibe of your dreams! These will not survive the Atlanta winters, but their price-tag is low enough that they can be replaced yearly or brought indoors for the winter.

Whatever palm you decide to grace your pool area with is sure to lend a hand in enhancing the atmosphere. You’ll get to experience the feeling of relaxing at a swanky beach resort without ever having to leave home. Think of it as an investment in not only your home but your relaxation and peace of mind.

Transform Your Backyard Pool with Palm Trees Today!

palm trees Atlanta

Creating a year-round tropical paradise in North Georgia has never been easier. The addition of a backyard pool with palm trees gracing the area brings a lush exotic appeal to your home. If you can’t tell, we at Atlanta Palms love everything about palm trees. We especially love all of our selection of cold-hardy palms that will look fantastic in any pool area, as well as the Patio Palms that will give your area a tropical lush atmosphere for the warmer seasons. There is no reason why you cant have a tropical lushness in your own backyard!

Whether you are a novice purchasing your first palm tree or searching for something in particular to enhance a special event, we at Atlanta Palms are here to answer your questions and assist in any way we can. Visit us in person and check out our fabulous selection of cold-hardy and patio palms. Feel free to call with any questions, or place an order online.

11490 Maxwell Road
, Alpharetta, GA 30009

770.400.9897

support@atlantapalms.com

Store Hours 

Monday - Friday 8:30-5:00, Saturday - 9:00-1:00

 


Frequently Asked Questions about Palm Trees and Pools

What are the best trees to plant around a pool? The best trees to plant around a pool are evergreen, thrive year-round in the area’s weather conditions and tolerate the area’s light and soil conditions, don’t have aggressive root systems, have room to mature without interference and meet your design goals.

Can tree roots damage a pool? Trees with aggressive tree roots can damage decks and pools, especially those that are seeking moisture. Avoid trees like willows, elms and cottonwoods.

Can palm trees grow in Georgia? Quite a variety of cold-hardy palms grow well in all portions of Georgia, even the cold northern portions. Choices include everything from tall stately palms to lower growing types suitable used as ground covers.

Does Atlanta, Georgia have palm trees? If you’re looking for palm trees that thrive in the Atlanta area look no further than Atlanta Palms! We have a vast selection of both cold-hardy and annual palms to fit your every design need and desire. Just because you live in North Georgia doesn’t mean you can’t grow your own tropical getaway and fill it with beautiful palms. Visit or call us today and be amazed at all the palms you can grow in the Atlanta area.