A pool should feel like part of the garden, not an isolated rectangle surrounded by paving. The right planting softens hard edges, brings privacy and shade, and creates the sense of escape that makes a pool area enjoyable even when nobody is swimming.
Poolside planting has to work harder than planting elsewhere in the garden. It may need to tolerate reflected heat, bright sun, coastal wind and occasional splashes of chlorinated or salt water. At the same time, it should not fill the pool with leaves, crowd narrow paths or develop roots that threaten paving and pool structures.
Low maintenance does not mean no maintenance. Every plant needs watering while it establishes, and even the toughest poolside garden benefits from occasional pruning and removal of spent foliage. The aim is to choose plants whose natural habit suits the space, so upkeep remains simple rather than becoming a constant battle.
What makes a good low-maintenance poolside plant?
Before choosing plants, consider how close each garden bed sits to the water and how the pool is used. A plant beside a quiet boundary has a different job from one beside a narrow path where wet feet, towels and pool toys regularly pass.
The most useful poolside plants generally share several qualities:
- evergreen or long-lasting foliage
- low levels of leaf, flower and fruit drop
- roots that are unlikely to disturb paving or pool structures
- tolerance of reflected heat and occasional splash
- a mature size that fits the available garden bed
- foliage that will not scratch swimmers or obstruct paths
- simple maintenance that can be handled once or twice a year
Pool type matters too. Saltwater splash can damage sensitive plants, while chlorine may mark soft foliage. Gardening Australia recommends hardy plants with waxy, silvery or leathery leaves, while also warning against deciduous plants, fine foliage that clogs filters and trees with aggressive roots.
The position of each plant remains just as important as the species. A sculptural plant can be perfect at the back of a generous bed but uncomfortable beside a narrow walkway. Likewise, a plant with some seasonal leaf drop may work well several metres from the water even if it would be frustrating beside the coping.
Our favourite low-maintenance plants for around a pool
These five plants all appear in Growing Rooms gardens. We use them for different reasons and in different combinations, depending on the architecture, light, soil and character of the site.
1. Tanika® Lomandra (Lomandra longifolia ‘LM300’)
Tanika Lomandra is a reliable way to bring movement and softness to a sunny pool garden. Its narrow green leaves form a tidy clump, creating contrast against stone, concrete and timber without overwhelming the space.
It works particularly well when repeated through a long garden bed or used to connect larger feature plants. The foliage is soft to touch, which makes it a practical choice near family gardens and circulation areas. Once established, it tolerates dry periods and needs little more than an occasional tidy to remove older foliage.
Allow enough space for each plant to retain its natural arching form. Crowding Lomandra against coping or a narrow path usually creates more maintenance, as the foliage will need to be cut back repeatedly.
Best for: sunny beds, mass planting, family pool gardens and softening long runs of paving.
2. Liriope (Liriope muscari)
Liriope is one of our favourite choices for the lower layer of a poolside garden. It forms compact evergreen clumps and performs well in part shade, making it especially useful beneath taller planting, beside built-in seating or in areas shaded by the house.
Its deep green, strappy foliage creates a neat edge without looking overly formal. Small purple flower spikes provide seasonal detail, but the plant’s main design value is its consistent foliage and ability to knit a planting scheme together.
Liriope is adaptable to a range of soils once established, although it performs best with reasonable drainage. An annual removal of tired leaves is usually enough to refresh the clump. Plant it in groups rather than as isolated specimens to create a stronger, calmer result.
Best for: part shade, narrow borders, underplanting and softening the base of walls or screens.
3. Foxtail Agave (Agave attenuata)
Foxtail Agave gives a pool garden strong sculptural form with very little ongoing work. Unlike many agaves, it does not have the same rigid terminal spine, and its broad rosettes create a bold contrast against fine grasses, clipped planting and clean-lined paving.
Its fleshy foliage is well suited to hot, free-draining positions and can cope with the bright conditions often found around pools. It is also one of the plants recommended by Gardening Australia for saltwater pool environments.
Although its leaves are softer than those of many agaves, placement still matters. We prefer to give it room within a garden bed rather than squeeze it beside a narrow walkway. Remove older lower leaves as needed, wear gloves when pruning and avoid contact with the sap.
Best for: sunny and free-draining beds, sculptural accents, coastal gardens and contemporary pool designs.
4. Heliconia ‘Hot Rio Nights’
Heliconia ‘Hot Rio Nights’ brings height, privacy and a strong tropical character to a pool garden. Its large green leaves create a lush backdrop, while glossy red flowers provide bold seasonal colour through the warmer months.
This is a substantial clumping plant rather than a compact accent. We use it at the back of a generous garden bed, where its fast growth can screen a wall or neighbouring property without crowding the pool edge. It performs best in a warm, sheltered position with sun to part shade, rich well-drained soil and reliable moisture.
Maintenance is straightforward when the plant has enough room: remove old leaves and cut finished flowering stems at the base, then thin the clump if it begins to spread beyond its allocated bed. The broad foliage can tear in wind, so avoid exposed positions and allow enough setback to keep leaves clear of coping and paths.
Best for: warm sheltered pool gardens, tropical screening, generous rear borders and bold red flowers.
5. Philodendron Xanadu (Philodendron xanadu)
Philodendron Xanadu creates a dense, rounded layer of deeply lobed green foliage. It brings a lush tropical quality without the height of a large philodendron, making it useful where poolside planting needs substance while remaining below sightlines.
Its compact clumping habit works particularly well beneath taller screening plants, beside built-in seating or through a broad shaded border. Repeating it in groups creates a strong architectural understorey and helps connect the lower Liriope layer with taller Heliconia planting.
Choose a position with bright filtered light or part shade, protection from harsh afternoon sun and moist, well-drained soil. Set it back from areas that receive frequent direct pool splash. Maintenance generally involves removing older or damaged leaves at the base and allowing enough room for the clump to retain its natural shape.
Best for: part shade, tropical underplanting, broad low structure and softening walls or built-in seating.
Plants to keep away from the pool edge
Some plants can still have a place in the wider pool garden but should be set back from the water. Deciduous trees and frangipanis create beautiful seasonal structure, yet their leaf drop can become frustrating directly beside a pool. Fine-leaved trees can also overwhelm filters, particularly after wind or rain.
Running bamboo, rubber trees and other plants with vigorous root systems should not be planted close to pool structures. Clumping bamboo behaves differently from running bamboo, but it still needs adequate room and thoughtful placement because of its mature size and leaf drop.
Avoid thorny or sharply spined plants beside coping, steps and paths. If a sculptural plant has pointed foliage, place it deeper within the bed where it can be appreciated without brushing against swimmers.
Designing a layered pool garden
The strongest pool gardens combine plants with different forms rather than relying on one species. A low layer of Liriope can soften the paving, Lomandra can add movement through the middle of the bed, and Philodendron Xanadu can provide a broad architectural understorey. Heliconia ‘Hot Rio Nights’ creates height and screening at the back, while a carefully positioned Foxtail Agave adds a sculptural focal point without visual clutter.
This approach can be seen in our Cronulla garden, where Lomandra and Agave bring movement and sculptural contrast around the family pool. In our Bondi multilevel garden, Liriope, Agave and Philodendron help create a lush coastal retreat around a compact pool.
The final palette should respond to the pool type, available light, garden-bed depth and the amount of screening required. Choosing fewer plants and repeating them generously usually creates a more resolved garden—and makes ongoing care much simpler.
For help creating a pool and planting scheme that feels like one complete landscape, explore our landscape and pool design service or speak with the Growing Rooms team.