Landscape Design Around a Pool in Los Angeles: What Works and What Does Not

A pool in a Los Angeles backyard is one of the most desirable home features in one of the best climates in the world for having one. But a pool without thoughtful landscape design surrounding it is just a hole in the ground. The hardscape, the planting, the shade structures, and the spatial organization around the pool determine whether the entire outdoor space feels like a resort-quality retreat or a construction site that happens to have water in it.

Landscape design for pool surrounds in Los Angeles is a specific discipline. The plant choices, surface materials, and design decisions that work elsewhere in the yard often create problems around a pool — plants that drop debris into the water, surfaces that become slippery when wet, planting that is toxic if accidentally ingested during poolside time. Getting the pool surround landscape right requires specific knowledge and deliberate design.

This guide covers the most important landscape design considerations for pool surrounds in Los Angeles — materials that work, plants that belong, design approaches that create beautiful resort-quality pool environments, and what to avoid.

Hardscape Materials Around the Pool

Slip Resistance Is Non-NegotiableThe single most important specification for any hard surface material used immediately around a pool in Los Angeles is slip resistance when wet. The pool deck is consistently wet — from swimmers exiting the pool, from splash, and from irrigation or cleaning. A surface that becomes slippery when wet creates a genuine safety hazard that no aesthetic consideration can justify.

Broom-finished concrete is the most practical and commonly specified pool deck surface in Los Angeles for this reason — the light broom texture provides consistent traction when wet without being rough enough to be uncomfortable underfoot. Exposed aggregate concrete is another excellent option that provides greater texture and visual interest with excellent slip resistance.

Smooth-troweled concrete, certain polished stone finishes, and glazed tile should be avoided in pool deck applications where they would be directly contacted by wet barefoot traffic.

Concrete Pool DecksPoured concrete is by far the most common and most practical pool deck material in Los Angeles. It is cost-effective, durable, and available in the range of textures and finishes appropriate for pool use. Concrete pool decks can be tinted or colored to complement the pool finish and the overall backyard aesthetic without sacrificing the slip-resistant surface texture that safety requires.

Concrete pool decks in Los Angeles should be designed with specific pool deck drainage in mind — directing water away from the pool equipment, away from the home's foundation, and toward designated drainage points. The pool area is a high-water zone and drainage must be addressed at the design stage.

Natural Stone and PaversNatural stone and concrete pavers are popular pool deck choices for higher-end Los Angeles pool surround projects. Travertine, bluestone, and certain sandstone varieties are used in pool deck applications and can create a beautiful, natural quality when appropriate slip-resistant finishes are specified. Pavers allow individual replacement if damage occurs — an advantage over monolithic concrete that cannot be patched invisibly.

For pavers used around a pool, specify a tumbled or honed finish rather than a polished finish. Polished stone becomes dangerously slippery when wet.

Artificial Turf Adjacent to the PoolArtificial turf adjacent to — but not immediately surrounding — a pool deck is an extremely popular landscaping element for Los Angeles backyard pool designs. A clean transition from the concrete pool deck to an artificial turf lawn area beyond the hardscape creates a beautiful, layered backyard composition that uses the pool as the central feature with a functional green space surrounding it. The artificial turf provides a soft, comfortable surface for lounging, play, and relaxation away from the immediate pool zone.

Do not install artificial turf as the primary pool deck surface — it does not drain as efficiently as hard surfaces and can trap pool chemicals. Adjacent turf is beautiful and appropriate. Poolside turf is not.

Plants Around the Pool: What Works and What to Avoid

Plants to Avoid Near a Los Angeles Pool

Deciduous trees and plants that drop leaves heavily create constant pool maintenance — fallen leaves contaminate pool water, clog skimmer baskets, and create slip hazards on wet decks. Avoid deciduous species adjacent to pools in Los Angeles. If a tree is desired for shade, specify an evergreen species that holds its foliage year-round.

Plants with seeds, pods, berries, or other small debris-producing characteristics cause similar problems. Jacaranda, which is extraordinarily common throughout Los Angeles, is one of the worst pool-adjacent plants — its flowers, seed pods, and leaves all end up in the pool and are difficult to remove.

Plants with aggressive root systems near pool structures can damage pool shells, underground plumbing, and pool equipment over time. Ficus and similar species with invasive root systems should never be planted adjacent to a pool.

Plants that are toxic if ingested are a concern around pools where children are present. Oleander, which is extremely common in Los Angeles landscaping, is highly toxic and should not be planted in pool areas where children play.

Plants That Work Well Around Los Angeles Pools

Ornamental grasses are among the best pool-adjacent plants in Los Angeles. They do not drop significant debris, their movement in the breeze adds visual interest, they are drought-tolerant, and species like Lomandra and deer grass maintain a clean profile year-round without requiring significant maintenance.

Agaves and succulents used at an appropriate distance from the pool provide bold architectural presence with essentially no debris contribution and minimal maintenance requirements. Ensure that agave species with sharp spines are positioned away from high-traffic pool areas.

Bougainvillea trained on a fence or trellis away from the immediate pool zone — not overhanging the pool — provides spectacular color and serves as a privacy and backdrop element for the pool area without contributing debris to the water.

Mediterranean shrubs like rosemary, lavender, and Pittosporum positioned in planting beds set back from the pool deck provide fragrance, color, and low-maintenance beauty without contributing debris.

Palms — specifically clumping palms or properly maintained single-trunk palms — are popular pool surround plants in Los Angeles. They contribute to the resort quality of a pool area and drop minimal debris if healthy. Palms with dead fronds that are not regularly removed do drop debris, so maintenance commitment matters.

Shade Structures for Pool Areas

A patio cover or shade structure adjacent to the pool creates a covered outdoor room for dining, lounging, and retreat from the pool sun during the hottest Los Angeles hours. This structure is typically positioned at the edge of the pool deck — creating a covered transition zone between the pool and the main entertaining area of the backyard — rather than directly over the pool, where structural considerations and local codes may restrict overhead structures.

Solid or insulated patio covers create the most comfortable poolside shade environment. Open lattice or pergola structures filter light but do not eliminate the intense afternoon sun that makes poolside comfort challenging in Los Angeles summer.

Stonewood Landscape Designs Pool Surround Landscapes Across Los Angeles

Stonewood Landscape designs and builds pool surround landscapes for homeowners throughout Los Angeles, including Culver City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Encino, and Pacific Palisades. As a family-owned landscape design and construction company with over 10 years of experience and more than 500 completed projects, Stonewood creates pool surround outdoor spaces that are beautiful, safe, and built for the year-round outdoor living that makes a Los Angeles pool genuinely exceptional.

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