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nicole007_gw

Can you plant tall Cherry Laurels & Crape Myrtals close to a pool

nicole007
10 years ago

I used to have wild stringy trees growing in a patch of ground by the corner of my pool (with a sidewalk in-between) but I cut it down so it wouldn't turn into trees and eventually become a problem. But, now I have no privacy and I miss having something tall in that corner. I'm thinking that the skinny trees wouldn't have been a problem for a long time and I wish I had left them. What is something tall and tree like ... (the trees I cut down were up to the tree tops but they were almost as thin as Cherry Laurels) ...

Anyway ... any suggestions?

Comments (3)

  • truxtc102
    10 years ago

    hi Nicole,
    I'm not a tree expert but I do love them! If you just want a tall, tree like without taking up too much space, I think some sort of evergreen like Italian cypress, lyland, etc..would be good. If there's a pool, a palm tree would be awesome. I have some neighbors who plant regular shrubs and let them grow tall and they did great to give their yard some privacy. Hope it helps!

  • lascatx
    10 years ago

    Only a fool would plant crepe myrtles near a pool -- and the PO of my home was a fool! ;-)

    I have 4 of them across the end of my pool. My neighbor had them near a pool at a previous home and said never again, but we are living with ours. They will create some more work for you.

    The problem is having a gazillion blooms followed by a gazillion seed pods and another gazillion or more seeds -- as well as tiny twigs and branches, sometimes strips of bark that peel off and can blow in. It's just a more high maintenance cleaning issue, and I have been known to put pantyhose over the skimmer baskets to trap those darned seeds and tiny twigs. Since we weren't the original builders of the pool, I don't know for sure if the filter grids we had to replace were due solely to age or if some fine twigs got through and made holes. I didn't want to find out the expensive way. Mostly -- it's just the blooms and seeds and a lot of basket cleaning.

    It's all I know, and they are pretty, so I deal with them. I don't plan to take them out unless they are dead or causing damage, but I would say consider the most common wind direction in the summer (blows into our pool, so across the street they might not be such a pain) and your proposed placement and suggest that you don't plant a line of them. They might be worth it to you. Just know what you are getting.

  • anonapersona1st
    10 years ago

    Make a sketch of the area and talk to a local nursery. They will know what grows in your area and the mature sizes of the shrubs and trees. Some plants like Leyland Cypress are nice evergreens but may be too wide for the space. Fast growers are often weak limbed. If there is a fence you can start with a tree that branches out at the fence height. Avoid all blooms and fruit and any seeds. You probably want evergreens but may be OK with deciduous trees if the screening is not needed in winter. Be aware of plants that smell, I think some of the junipers smell like dog pee and I find that repulsive in an entertainment area.