Looking for inspiration for poolside plants? Here are some of my favorites that I’ve planted near my pool over the years. Many of them are very fast growing, and the possibilities are endless!
Table of Contents
Poolside Plant Ideas
I like to experiment and try different potted plants around my pool. Using a mixture of foliage plants, flowering plants, and even nighttime fragrance can really create a magical experience around any pool. Here are some of my favorites.
1. Banana Plants
I absolutely love Red Abyssinian Banana (Ensete vetricosum ‘Maurelii’). The rate of growth is tremendous and with plentiful water and sun, you will a beautiful specimen in no time. And you can easily overwinter Red Abyssinian Banana plants. I’ve done it for many years and is very easy.
In the photo above, I underplanted the banana plants with red flowered begonias. The lime green foliage plants next to both banana plants are Coleus, another one of my favorites.
2. Hibiscus
Without fail, I always have hibiscus plants around the pool. Nothing creates a tropical environment quite like hibiscus. Although the flowers only last one day, they come in a huge array of colors and a hibiscus that gets plentiful light, watering and fertilizer will be in bloom all summer long.
Not to mention, they are easy to overwinter in the house, and then you can place them back outdoors when weather warms up if you live in a cold weather climate. For reference, don’t miss my post on getting hibiscus to bloom.
3. Bird of Paradise
Bird of paradise plants (the plant on the left in the photo above) has banana-like leaves, and they also have the bonus of producing beautiful flowers. I underplanted the Bird of Paradise with Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) which blooms all season long.
And to the right is Black Eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia) which takes us to…
4. Thunbergia
Thunbergia is one of the most vigorous garden plants that I’ve ever grown. In the pot above, I placed a metal obelisk for the plants to climb on. In just 2-3 short months, the plants completely covered the structure. Sometimes blooming will slow down when it’s too warm, but it will resume when temperatures cool a bit.
There are so many varieties of Alocasia, and the large leaved varieties like Alocasia ‘Portora’ or Alocasia ‘Portodora’ both make wonderful and grand foliage specimens around your pool! Give them plenty of water, fertilizer and sun to keep them happy.
6. Snapdragon
I love to try different things each year, and this one may seem a little unexpected! In this planter, I mass planted a couple dozen Snapdragon plants from a flat into a large square pot. The pot quickly filled out and stayed in bloom all season long. Be sure to deadhead your snapdragons though so that they don’t focus too much energy on going to seed, so that they can keep blooming.
7. Coleus
Coleus are absolutely amazing, fast growing plants that come in a variety of stunning foliage colors. I underplanted the coleus pot in the photo above with Tradescantia. There are so many varieties of coleus these days, including ones that thrive in full sun.
Be sure not to miss my post on coleus varieties for sun. They grow into such beautiful specimens, and very quickly!
8. Palms
Few plants lend a tropical vibe quite like a palm. There are so many varieties, but the one in the photo above is a Chinese Windmill Palm which is known for being winter hardy in many areas, or you can easily overwinter them indoors.
9. Brugmansia
Another very fast grower, Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia) produces highly fragrant, huge flowers to titillate all your senses. The fragrance is amazing and it fills the evening air. The flowers come in white, orange, and even pink. (Be careful though because these plants are quite toxic).
10. Nicotiana
Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata) is a wonderfully fragrant plant. I’ve grown them in pots and in the ground as well. I grow the plants from seed, but they will also reseed reliably (and prolifically) in the garden. The flowers open up in the evening and exude a wonderful, sweet perfume and they will bloom until frost.
If you live in a mild enough climate, the plants will also come back from the root system and put on an even bigger show the following season.
11. Citrus
Citrus plants, particularly lemon or lime, are wonderful choices to grow next to a pool. Who wouldn’t want the convenience of picking a fresh lemon or lime for a poolside cocktail?
12. Moonvine
Like Flowering Tobacco, Moonvine or Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is another nocturnal bloomer, but this one is a vine. It is actually a variety of morning glory, except this one blooms at night instead of during the day.
I tied a few bamboo stakes together in the pot above and sowed some moonvine flowers (soak them overnight before planting the large seeds).
The vines grow quickly and flowers open at night and have a nice fragrance as well.
13. Impatiens
I wasn’t sure how this planter would turn out when I planted it, but I loved the results. I planted some sun loving Impatiens along with a larger variety of Gomphrena. There is a line of Impatiens called Sunpatiens and they are wonderful to plant by your pool in full sun. Just make sure they get plenty of water!
14. Mixed Planters
Finally, don’t be afraid to mix a variety of plants in a pot. It’s always fun to see how they turn out. This pot above included some trailing coleus, cane begonias, and Tradescantia.
