Landscape & Hardscape
What Are the Best Plants to Use Around a Pool in Maryland?
The right plants make a pool area look designed — the wrong ones clog filters, stain decks, and drop debris all season. Here's what Wade recommends for Maryland properties.
The Short Answer
The best plants around a Maryland pool share three traits: they produce minimal litter (no pods, nuts, berries, or heavy leaf drop), they tolerate reflected heat from hardscape surfaces, and they won't damage the pool shell or deck with aggressive root systems. Native ornamental grasses, ornamental grasses, evergreen groundcovers, and compact flowering shrubs are the workhorses. Avoid large canopy trees within 20 feet of the pool — they look great but they'll fill your skimmer basket every day in fall.
Top Plant Choices for Maryland Pool Areas
Ornamental Grasses
Karl Foerster feather reed grass, blue oat grass, and dwarf fountain grass are excellent poolside choices. They provide height and movement without dropping litter, and their root systems are shallow and non-invasive. In Maryland's climate they flush out naturally in early spring and look architectural even in winter. Karl Foerster in particular thrives in the full sun that most pool surrounds receive and is virtually maintenance-free once established.
Ornamental Sedums and Groundcovers
Sedum varieties (Autumn Joy, Dragon's Blood) are heat-tolerant, drought-resistant, and nearly litter-free — ideal for planting between pavers or in narrow beds along the pool edge. Creeping phlox and ice plant work similarly. These low groundcovers soften the hardscape transition without creating a maintenance burden and handle Maryland's summer humidity well.
Compact Flowering Shrubs
Dwarf Blue Star juniper, dwarf inkberry holly (a Maryland native), and compact Knock Out roses give structure and seasonal color. Avoid standard-size hollies and boxwoods within the pool zone — their dense branches trap debris and they can harbor insects. Dwarf varieties stay manageable and keep the pool sightlines open. Encore azaleas work well for homeowners who want flowering color — they rebloom in fall and the flowers drop cleanly without staining the deck.
Ornamental Palms and Tropical Accents (Seasonal)
Many Maryland pool owners near the Chesapeake Bay use container-grown tropical plants — bird of paradise, canna lilies, elephant ears — to achieve a resort aesthetic during pool season. These are brought in for winter and replanted in late May. They create dramatic visual impact without the permanent commitment and the root concerns of in-ground tropical plantings.
Plants to Avoid Near a Maryland Pool
Several otherwise beautiful plants are problematic near pools and Wade routinely steers clients away from them in the pool zone:
- Sweet gum trees — the spiky seed balls will fill your skimmer weekly and are painful underfoot
- River birch — heavy year-round leaf and bark drop, and a voracious root system
- Willow trees — roots seek water aggressively and will find plumbing lines
- Oaks and maples within 20 feet — beautiful trees but enormous autumn leaf drop
- Wisteria — invasive in Maryland and roots can penetrate pool structure cracks
- Crape myrtle (large varieties) — heavy seed pod drop and spring bloom debris; dwarf varieties are fine
How Wade Approaches Pool Landscape Design
Shaun Wade holds a graduate degree in landscape design from George Washington University and has been designing pool surrounds in Maryland since 2001. When Wade builds a pool, the landscape design is planned as part of the overall project — not an afterthought. The goal is a planting plan that performs well year-round, supports Maryland's Chesapeake Bay watershed commitments where possible, and looks intentional rather than generic.
For properties where stormwater management or native planting requirements apply (common in Anne Arundel County near the Bay), Wade designs plant beds that satisfy those requirements while still serving the pool aesthetic. Rain gardens and native groundcover strips can absorb pool deck runoff and satisfy county stormwater credits without looking utilitarian.
More Questions About Poolside Planting in Maryland
- How close to the pool can I plant shrubs and trees?
- As a general guideline, keep any tree with a mature canopy spread over 20 feet at least 15–20 feet from the pool edge. Shrubs and ornamental grasses can be planted right at the deck edge. Wade reviews mature size of every plant during the design phase so nothing outgrows its position in 5 years.
- Can I use mulch near the pool?
- Yes, but keep mulch beds at least 18–24 inches from the pool coping. Mulch that washes in during rain events will clog the skimmer and stain plaster. Decorative stone or gravel mulch is often a better choice for beds immediately adjacent to the pool deck.
- What about plants for privacy screening near the pool?
- Arborvitae (Green Giant or Emerald), clumping bamboo in root barriers, and 'Sky Pencil' holly are good privacy screening options in Maryland that don't create significant litter. They can be positioned 6–8 feet back from the pool edge to provide screening without the maintenance burden of overhead canopy.
Get a Poolscape Design That Works Year-Round
Wade Pools & Landscape Design creates complete pool and landscape plans for Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore. One team, one project, one cohesive design.
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