This festive season we will be closed from 12 noon Tuesday 24th of December 2024, reopening on Thursday 2nd January 2025. Seasons Greetings everyone!

Evergreen or deciduous trees around pools?

When buying a tree it is more important to select the right tree based on location, soil and position rather than if it is evergreen or deciduous. Here's why.

Print Download Email Share Tweet

Q: I want to plant trees for privacy around my pool. 

A: This is a common question that we field every other day. To answer this, we generally have to tackle another misconception first. Too often the customer is set on selecting an evergreen tree, mainly because it 'doesn't shed its leaves'.  Wrong.

All trees shed leaves. 

The difference between selecting evergreen over deciduous is that deciduous does it all in one season. In other words evergreen trees shed leaves too and across the year so the pool skimmer will be getting a work out throughout all seasons regardless of your selection.

And let's remember too that just because you can control the position and therefore the amount of leaf drop experienced at any one time of the year, doesn't mean that your neighbours do. Aided by the wind or even the subtlest of breezes, leaves will inevitably find their way into your backyard and into your pool. 

The point we are trying to make is that other factors are much more relevant in the right selection of trees. For instance, do your trees need to be wind tolerant, salt tolerant or even chlorine tolerant? Do they need to thrive in full sun, dappled shade or deep shade? Are you wanting trees for significant canopy cover in summer? What soil type do you have?

Our tip: Don't be scared to use deciduous trees in your poolside landscape. A splash of colour in summer or striking bare limbs in winter add a wonderful dimension to your entertaining space. The addition of a big tree with a broad canopy will provide much needed sun protection during the hotter summer months. 

Here are some deciduous selections to inspire you.

For tree selections to aid privacy around pools, please click here. 

For more information or to discuss your particular circumstances in more detail, please call us on 03 9796 8308 or contact us by email here.

This could be a tall spreading shade tree, but mostly we see this tree ordered for its thick foliage and suitability for instant hedging and screens. A small fast growing tree to 10m that can be clipped to the desired height. Great for around pools as it has has minimal leaf drop with flowers that are small and nondescript. We have also found ‘Flash’ to show better tolerance of Melbourne winters. 30cm/14L 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 100L 150L
This is a stout tree best known for it's beautiful white fragrant flowers bourne in Spring and Summer. Berries are red turning to black. It has large glossy bright green leaves that are oval in shape. Fast growing species that can form a rounded shrub or small tree.
Pyrus nivalis has foliage which is slightly glaucous, giving the tree a soft, silvery green appearance when in leaf. The habit of the tree is easy to manage to form a trunk. They have a smaller leaf and look great planted for canopy layed in a garden with ficus or syzygium. 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 100L 150L
An ideal native shrub for hedging and screens and a good selection for around pools. Compact glossy green foliage has an atrractive copper hue on new growth.  To control litter suppress berries by clipping the tree just before flowering. This is a great tree for dense privacy.   For more selections click here. 40cm/27L 50cm/52L
This Bay tree offers a more compact form and grows slightly smaller than the traditional Bay Tree to around 7m tall. It produces glossy dark green foliage. Leaves are fragrant and can be used in cooking.
This is a lovely tree to 10m tall which makes it ideal as a feature in a residential setting. It has beautiful glossy dark green leaves with velvety brown undersides and white fragrant flowers up to 30cm in diameter. We see this as an alternative to 'Exmouth' with a similar upright branching structure but with glossier green leaves. 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 150L

Find a Tree

With more than 400 trees in our library we can help you find the perfect tree for your next project.

Search

Ask a question

We're here to help if you need any advice on selecting the perfect tree for your next project.

Send Message

Newsletter

Receive all the latest news, product information, collections, projects, tips and special offers straight to your inbox each month or so.

Subscribe

Connect

Stay in the loop by connecting with us through social media.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Pinterest

Treefinder can help you identify the perfect tree for your next project!

With over 400 tree varieties for review, the Treefinder app enables you to conveniently browse and compile a list of trees suitable for a number of common landscaping uses - from attracting birds to creating a formal screen or hedge. By selecting desired size, foliage, and a few categories, Treefinder opens up a world of possibilities.

Once you've found the perfect tree you can click through to our website for more information, availability and a quote.

Try it online

www.treefinder.com.au

We are specialists in the environmentally sustainable production of premium quality advanced landscaping trees and screens.

For more than 47 years Speciality Trees has been a leader in the production and supply of advanced environmentally sustainable, containerised landscape trees for local government, the landscaping industry and retailers.

Learn more