17+ Inspiring Pool Decor Ideas with Lush Plants

Hey there, pool lovers! If you’re dreaming of turning your pool area into a stunning retreat, adding the right plants can make all the difference.

1. Create a Zen Space with Bamboo

Bamboo brings a touch of tranquility to your poolside.
Bamboo brings a touch of tranquility to your poolside.

Bamboo can create a serene, zen-like atmosphere around your pool. I love how it adds a sense of peace and privacy to my backyard retreat.

A few relevant products:

  • Artificial Bamboo Privacy Screen: Enhance your poolside privacy while adding elegance with a durable bamboo privacy screen.
  • Outdoor Bamboo Water Fountain: Bring tranquility to your pool area with the soothing sound of a bamboo water fountain.
  • Bamboo Planter Boxes: Display your favorite plants elegantly around the pool with versatile bamboo planter boxes.

2. Create Privacy with Tall Hedges

Tall hedges can turn your pool into a secluded retreat.
Tall hedges can turn your pool into a secluded retreat.

Tall hedges are not just for privacy; they also add a touch of elegance to your pool area. My favorite is the Italian Cypress, which creates a chic, private haven.

Try these:

  • Italian Cypress Trees: Enhance your pool privacy and add elegance with these graceful Italian Cypress trees.
  • Hedge Trimmer: Keep your privacy hedges neatly trimmed with a reliable and efficient hedge trimmer.
  • Soil Moisture Meter: Ensure your hedges thrive by maintaining the perfect soil moisture level effortlessly.

3. Dramatic Foliage with Banana Plants

Banana plants offer bold, exotic foliage for your pool area.
Banana plants offer bold, exotic foliage for your pool area.

For a bold statement, try banana plants. The large leaves create a dramatic backdrop by my pool, adding an exotic flair.

You might like:

  • Artificial Banana Plant: Add instant tropical vibes with this lifelike artificial banana plant, perfect for any pool area.
  • Banana Plant Potting Soil: Ensure healthy growth with nutrient-rich potting soil designed specifically for tropical banana plants.
  • Outdoor Plant Fertilizer: Enhance your banana plant’s foliage with this specially formulated outdoor plant fertilizer.

4. Nighttime Glow with Luminous Plants

Luminous plants add a magical glow to your pool at night.
Luminous plants add a magical glow to your pool at night.

Some plants, like white flowers, can reflect moonlight, creating a luminous glow at night. They add a magical touch to my evening swims.

Useful items to consider:

  • Outdoor Solar Garden Lights: Enhance your poolside ambiance with solar lights that capture the magical glow of the night.
  • Glow in the Dark Pebbles: Add a mystical touch around your pool with pebbles that illuminate beautifully at night.
  • White Flowering Plants: Choose white flowering plants that reflect moonlight, adding a serene glow to your evening swims.

5. Embrace the Tropics with Palms

Add a tropical touch to your poolside with elegant palms.
Add a tropical touch to your poolside with elegant palms.

Nothing says ‘vacation’ like a pool bordered with palm trees. In my backyard, I have several potted palms that sway gently in the breeze, instantly transporting me to a tropical paradise.

A few suggestions:

  • Artificial Palm Tree for Outdoor Decor: Enhance your pool area with maintenance-free artificial palms, bringing lasting tropical vibes effortlessly.
  • Decorative Planter Pots for Large Plants: Showcase your palm trees in stylish, durable planters that complement your outdoor oasis beautifully.
  • Outdoor Solar String Lights: Illuminate your palms with solar string lights for a magical, eco-friendly nighttime ambiance.

6. Serenity with Water-Loving Plants

Water-loving plants create a serene, pond-like atmosphere.
Water-loving plants create a serene, pond-like atmosphere.

Incorporate water-loving plants like canna lilies for a serene, pond-like feel. They thrive in the moist environment around my pool, adding to the tranquility.

May just do the trick:

  • Self-Watering Planter: Effortlessly maintain your canna lilies with this self-watering planter. Enjoy vibrant poolside greenery.
  • Plant Fertilizer Spikes: Boost your canna lilies’ growth with easy-to-use fertilizer spikes. Keep your poolside lush.
  • Moisture Meter for Plants: Ensure perfect soil moisture for water-loving plants with this handy moisture meter. Avoid overwatering.

7. Vibrant Colors with Flowering Plants

Brighten up your pool with vibrant flowering plants.
Brighten up your pool with vibrant flowering plants.

Splash some color around your pool with flowering plants like bougainvillea. They add a vibrant contrast to the blue waters, just like they do in my garden.

These products might be useful:

  • Bougainvillea Climbing Plant: Enhance your poolside with tropical bougainvillea. Enjoy vibrant blooms that add a stunning contrast.
  • Colorful Outdoor Planters: Transform your pool area with colorful planters. Perfect for highlighting your favorite flowering plants.
  • Solar Garden Lights: Illuminate your vibrant poolside plants with eco-friendly solar garden lights for a magical evening setup.

8. Seaside Feel with Sea Thrift

Sea thrift provides a charming, coastal feel to your pool.
Sea thrift provides a charming, coastal feel to your pool.

For a coastal vibe, sea thrift is an excellent choice. Its resilience to salty air and charming flowers remind me of a seaside escape.

These products might help:

  • Outdoor Coastal-Themed Planter: Enhance your pool area with a rustic coastal planter, embodying a beachside ambiance.
  • Sea Thrift Plant Seeds: Grow your own sea thrift plants for resilience and beauty in your poolside garden.
  • Decorative Pebble Stones: Accent your poolside landscape with smooth, decorative pebbles for a natural seaside look.

9. Incorporate Tropical Blooms

Tropical blooms can transform your pool into an exotic escape.
Tropical blooms can transform your pool into an exotic escape.

Bring a splash of the exotic with tropical blooms like hibiscus. They thrive in the heat and make my pool feel like a lush getaway.

Explore these options:

  • Hibiscus Plant Seeds: Plant vibrant hibiscus seeds to enhance your poolside with lush, tropical flair.
  • Tropical Fertilizer Mix: Boost your tropical blooms with a specialized fertilizer mix for healthy growth.
  • Decorative Planters for Poolside: Add elegance to your pool area with beautiful planters for tropical blooms.

10. Succulents for a Modern Touch

Succulents add a modern touch to your pool decor.
Succulents add a modern touch to your pool decor.

For a sleek, minimal look, consider succulents. In my pool area, they are low-maintenance and offer a modern aesthetic that complements any decor.

You might give these a try:

  • Artificial Succulent Plants: Add elegance without effort with these realistic artificial succulents for a chic poolside ambiance.
  • White Ceramic Planters: Enhance your pool decor with sleek ceramic planters, perfect for a modern minimalist look.
  • Decorative River Rocks: Use decorative river rocks to accent your succulents and add texture to your pool area.

11. Low-Growing Ground Covers

Ground covers provide a lush base for your poolside plants.
Ground covers provide a lush base for your poolside plants.

Ground covers like creeping thyme are perfect for filling in gaps and adding a soft, green carpet around your pool. They work wonders in my garden for a lush look.

Give these a look:

  • Creeping Thyme Seeds: Cultivate a lush, aromatic ground cover around your pool with easy-to-grow creeping thyme seeds.
  • Ground Cover Starter Plugs: Fill in gaps quickly with these starter plugs for a seamless, green carpet by your pool.
  • Low-Growing Perennial Mix: Achieve diverse textures with this perennial mix, ideal for enhancing poolside beauty effortlessly.

12. Artistic Touch with Sculptural Plants

Sculptural plants like agave add an artistic flair to your poolside.
Sculptural plants like agave add an artistic flair to your poolside.

Plants like agave can serve as living sculptures around your pool. Their unique shapes add an artistic element that I find truly captivating.

A few things you might like:

  • Artificial Agave Plant in Pot: Enhance your poolside with this realistic agave plant that requires no maintenance.
  • Decorative Pebble Stones for Landscaping: Add texture and contrast with these decorative pebble stones around your agave plants.
  • Outdoor Planter for Succulents: Showcase your agave in style with this sleek and durable outdoor planter.

13. Add Texture with Ornamental Grasses

Introduce texture with elegant ornamental grasses.
Introduce texture with elegant ornamental grasses.

Ornamental grasses like pampas grass can add movement and texture to your pool area. I love how they sway with the wind, adding a dynamic element to the space.

Some ideas to consider:

  • Artificial Pampas Grass Stems: Create a dynamic pool area with lifelike pampas grass that sways effortlessly with the breeze.
  • Outdoor Planters for Grasses: Elevate your pool decor using elegant planters, perfect for showcasing ornamental grasses beautifully.
  • Garden Wind Spinners: Enhance movement and texture with decorative wind spinners that complement your ornamental grasses.

14. Fragrant Herbs for Scent and Beauty

Herbs can bring scent and beauty to your pool decor.
Herbs can bring scent and beauty to your pool decor.

Using herbs like lavender and rosemary not only adds beauty but also a wonderful fragrance around your pool. I adore the calming scent that wafts through my garden.

Check if these fit your needs:

  • Potted Lavender Plants: Add serenity to your poolside with lush lavender plants, enhancing beauty and natural aroma.
  • Rosemary Herb Planters: Infuse your garden with rosemary’s soothing scent and elegance for a refreshing atmosphere.
  • Decorative Outdoor Planters: Elevate your pool decor with stylish planters for a charming and fragrant touch.

15. Colorful Foliage with Crotons

Crotons add a burst of color with their vibrant foliage.
Crotons add a burst of color with their vibrant foliage.

Crotons are perfect for adding colorful foliage to your pool area. Their vibrant leaves bring a splash of color that I love to mix with other greenery.

Check these products out:

  • Outdoor Planter Boxes: Enhance your pool decor with stylish planter boxes perfect for vibrant crotons and greenery.
  • Fertilizer for Tropical Plants: Boost your crotons’ growth and color with this specialized fertilizer for tropical plants.
  • Watering Can with Long Spout: Simplify plant care with a long spout watering can for precise and easy watering.

16. Add Height with Climbing Vines

Climbing vines add height and fragrance to your pool area.
Climbing vines add height and fragrance to your pool area.

Climbing vines like star jasmine can add both height and fragrance to your pool decor. In my backyard, they climb beautifully over a trellis, creating a living wall.

Possibly helpful picks:

  • Trellis for Climbing Plants: Enhance your pool decor with a sturdy trellis perfect for supporting climbing vines effortlessly.
  • Star Jasmine Plant: Introduce fragrant beauty to your backyard with versatile star jasmine climbing plants.
  • Outdoor Planter Box: Elevate your pool area decor by planting vines in elegant outdoor planter boxes.

17. Desert Vibe with Cacti

Cacti add a desert vibe to your poolside decor.
Cacti add a desert vibe to your poolside decor.

For a desert-inspired look, consider adding cacti around your pool. They bring a unique texture and thrive in the sunny, dry conditions of my Austin backyard.

A few helpful options:

  • Artificial Cactus Plants: Add lasting beauty to your pool area with lifelike artificial cactus plants that need no care.
  • Decorative Stone Pebbles: Enhance your desert theme with natural stone pebbles for a smooth, elegant ground cover.
  • Outdoor Solar Lights: Illuminate your poolside evenings with outdoor solar lights for a warm, ambient glow.

Text: Sarah Anderson