Best Plants Around a Pool in Tucson (and Which to Avoid)

The best plants around a pool in Tucson are cacti, succulents and low-water desert shrubs with showy flowers. They handle the heat bouncing off the water and deck, need little irrigation and drop very little litter into the pool. Keep heavy-litter trees like mesquite, ash and sweet acacia far from the water, and keep spiny plants away from walkways.

Here is how to pick plants that look good, stay tidy and do not cause problems for your pool.

What makes a plant good for a poolside spot?

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension publication Plants for Poolside Landscapes (AZ1058) is a good starting point. It was written for the low desert, and its advice fits Tucson backyards well. The main ideas:

• Heat tolerance. A pool and deck reflect a lot of sun. Plants next to the water get more heat and light than the same plant in an open yard.
• Low litter. Pick plants that drop very little, or that drop all their leaves at once, so you clean up once a year instead of every day. Constant leaf drop dirties the water and can clog the filter.
• Low water use. Heavy irrigation around a pool can damage the deck and equipment.
• Showy flowers. Plants with big, colorful flowers are usually pollinated by animals instead of wind. The extension guide notes they tend to be cleaner and less likely to cause allergies.
• Year-round interest. You see this area every day, so choose plants that look good in all seasons.

Tucson adds a few local factors. Monsoon winds blow leaves and dust into pools, so anything upwind of the water matters more. Caliche and rocky soil make planting holes harder to dig, and drainage needs extra attention. Many HOAs in Marana, Dove Mountain, Rita Ranch and Vail also have approved plant lists, so check yours before you buy.

Which plants work best around a pool in Tucson?

These come from the extension service’s suggested poolside list. All of them are common in Tucson nurseries.

Accent plants

• Agaves, such as Parry’s agave, Queen Victoria agave and octopus agave. Sculptural and almost no litter. Keep sharp tips away from paths.
• Aloes, such as tiger aloe and aloe vera. Soft leaves and orange or red flower spikes.
• Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora). Grassy look with long flower stalks that hummingbirds love. A safe pick near walkways.
• Desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri). Silvery and tough. Its leaf edges have small teeth, so give it room.
• Golden barrel cactus. Bright and round, but keep it back from where people walk.
• Deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens). Soft, clumping grass that softens hard edges.

Shrubs

• Texas ranger and other Leucophyllum sages. Silver or green leaves with purple flowers after rain.
• Fairy duster (Calliandra). Small, airy shrub with puffy pink or red flowers.
• Arizona yellow bells (Tecoma stans var. angustata). Bright yellow flowers through the warm season.
• Desert and Mexican bird of paradise. Bold flowers that handle heat well.
• Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) and other salvias. Small, colorful and easy to tuck into beds.
• Jojoba and Arizona rosewood. Dense evergreen shrubs that work as screens.

Groundcovers and flowers

• Desert marigold, blackfoot daisy and Angelita daisy. Low, tidy and bright.
• Trailing lantana and trailing indigo bush. Spread to fill space between larger plants.
• Penstemons. Tall spring flower spikes in red, pink and purple.

Trees and palms

The extension list includes a few trees for pool areas, such as Texas ebony and desert fern. It also notes that any tree with some seasonal litter, like the blooms on Texas ebony, should be planted downwind of the pool.

Palms on the list include Mediterranean fan palm and Mexican blue palm. To limit mess, keep the fronds pruned and remove the flowers before seeds set.

Which plants should you keep away from your pool?

The same extension publication lists plants to keep far from a pool. Most of them drop flowers, leaves, pods or seeds over a long season.

You do not have to remove a mature mesquite that shades your yard. Just plan the pool so the tree sits downwind and as far from the water as you can, and expect more skimmer cleaning in spring.

Where should spiny plants go?

Cacti and agaves are some of the best low-litter plants for a pool yard, but they do not mix with bare feet and beach balls. The extension guide says to plant cacti far enough from the path to prevent injuries.

Simple rules:

• Keep spines out of traffic paths. Leave a clear walkway between the deck and any spiny plant.
• Use soft plants at the edges. Deer grass, red yucca, groundcovers and salvias are safer near paths and the deck.
• Think about kids. Families with young children often keep spiny plants in raised beds or at the far side of the yard. Our post on kid-friendly pool design covers more.
• Check reach as plants grow. An agave that looks small in a 5-gallon pot can get wide. Plan for its mature size.
• Keep climbable plants and planters away from the pool barrier. Anything a child could climb on next to the fence weakens it. See our pool barrier rules guide.

What about roots and water near the pool shell?

A concrete pool is strong, but the area around it still needs care.

• Give big trees room. Large trees need space for their roots, and roots can lift pavers and decking over time. Keep large trees well back from the deck and equipment pad.
• Use drip irrigation. Drip emitters put water at each plant’s roots. Avoid spray heads that soak the deck or splash into the pool.
• Keep water from pooling against the deck. Grade beds to drain away from the pool, and do not let irrigation run onto the coping.
• Watch the equipment pad. Keep plants trimmed back from the pump and filter so air can flow and you can reach everything.

Our monsoon pool care guide covers drainage during summer storms, when runoff and debris are the biggest concern.

Should you use turf or rock instead of plants near the deck?

Many Tucson pool yards mix all three. Plants add color and softness. Hardscape and turf keep mud and debris out of the water.

A common layout is a travertine or paver deck around the pool, a strip of turf for play, and desert planting beds farther out. Our pool landscaping and turf work plans plants, irrigation and turf together with the pool, and our pool deck options page shows deck materials that stay cooler underfoot.

Low-maintenance poolside planting tips

• Be careful with anything upwind. Monsoon gusts can carry leaves and flowers a long way.
• Group plants by water need so each drip zone gets the right amount.
• Plant in fall or spring. New plants settle in better outside the summer heat.
• Leave space between plants and the coping so you can walk, clean and reach the skimmer.
• Prune before seed set on palms and flowering shrubs that drop seeds.

Plan your landscaping with your pool

The best time to plan plants is during pool design, before the deck and irrigation are built. In our 3D design with a VR walkthrough, you can see where beds, turf, the deck and the barrier go together. Browse our pool gallery for finished yards, or read about low-maintenance backyard pool design.

Meraki Pools AZ is a family-owned Tucson pool builder, licensed under AZ ROC #342505 and #352797. Call (520) 342-8335 or request a free estimate.

Put this guide to work

Planning your own project? See our Pool Landscaping, Turf & Irrigation in Tucson, or read about building a pool in Marana, Vail or Dove Mountain.

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