What type of trees can I plant by my pool? I live in zone 7a (Nashville, TN)

[joyrox]

Show me your pool landscaping photos!! lol I'm loosing my mind over here trying to figure out what to do. I'm thinking of putting in a hedge of Sprinter boxwoods around my entire pool. I will have enough room on the far end to put a row of shrubs behind the boxwoods to give me some summer color, maybe something evergreen and blooming like rhododendron or gardenia? I also want to put in 2-3 small trees on the back wall and uplight them to block out a barn and my neighbors but I don't want anything that litters too much? So, I guess I'm looking for recommendations on what I should plant behind the boxwood hedge and some recommendations for small trees that don't little much. I've included a photo of the area where the shrubs will be planted behind the boxwoods so you can see the amount of space I'm working with. I'm in zone 7a. Thanks!

 

[Texas Splash]

We went with Italian Cypress. From what I understand, the root system is not terribly aggressive, and while they to shed some small twigs, there are no leaves which is nice. The 1st thumbnail was May '13. The 2nd from a winter storm back in Jan '18, so you can see the growth rate.

 

[Arizonarob]

Honestly, I like your yard the way it is. Maybe some flowers in large containers placed around the pool to add some color, but that’s about it.

Keep in mind the maintenance aspect of your fence. You start planting large shrubs and bushes next to that fence, and when it comes time to stain/waterproof etc, it’s going to be a pain in the butt to work on.

You can always go down to your local nursery with pictures in hand, and ask them for recommendations on what would be best.

 

[joyrox]

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We went with Italian Cypress. From what I understand, the root system is not terribly aggressive, and while they to shed some small twigs, there are no leaves which is nice. The 1st thumbnail was May '13. The 2nd from a winter storm back in Jan '18, so you can see the growth rate.

Wow, these really make a statement! I'll go to my local nursery and see if they have some recommendations as well. I just don't want to screw myself by planting a bunch of stuff that litters in the pool. lol Thanks for the photos, helpful to see what things actually look like over time.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Stay away from anything deciduous or you will regret it. I agree with @Arizonarob, minimalist is best.

 

[tstex]

Drive around your nborhood and see what looks good, then ask nbor what the plant drops and doesn't. your local nursery will also have recommendations as well, but make sure that whatever you get, the wind does not blow real hard from your plant towards the pool when the plant is exfoliating. For example, don't plant on N side of pool when winter hits and windy cold fronts blows everything into your pool...

 

[bmoreswim]

Even evergreens that have height to them will shed their dead internal foliage. Sometimes it stays in place until you get 40-60 mph thunderstorm gusts. And if they come the wrong way, your pool can get quite littered. That takes some years for the internal deadness to show up but it can, speaking from experience. We've had the entire surface of our pool covered completely in 2 minutes from a blast of wind from our Leyland Cypress. Mind you, these were 30' tall at the time, but also 20' away.

I too don't see much offensive in that view. I would focus more on some accent opportunities versus screening. Screening will make that end feel quite heavy. And the uprights may provide too much shade on the boxwoods over time. Just some thoughts. The boxwoods themselves will make a nice hedge with some shearing. We have boxwoods in a semi-circular pattern which will eventually grow into a hedge. I prune them yearly allowing them to get slightly bigger while keeping them dense. You can see some pics of our landscaping later in our build thread linked in my signature.

 

[joyrox]

Even evergreens that have height to them will shed their dead internal foliage. Sometimes it stays in place until you get 40-60 mph thunderstorm gusts. And if they come the wrong way, your pool can get quite littered. That takes some years for the internal deadness to show up but it can, speaking from experience. We've had the entire surface of our pool covered completely in 2 minutes from a blast of wind from our Leyland Cypress. Mind you, these were 30' tall at the time, but also 20' away.

I too don't see much offensive in that view. I would focus more on some accent opportunities versus screening. Screening will make that end feel quite heavy. And the uprights may provide too much shade on the boxwoods over time. Just some thoughts. The boxwoods themselves will make a nice hedge with some shearing. We have boxwoods in a semi-circular pattern which will eventually grow into a hedge. I prune them yearly allowing them to get slightly bigger while keeping them dense. You can see some pics of our landscaping later in our build thread linked in my signature.

Thanks so much, I'll check out your photos. You make some great points, thank you for taking the time.