Native Plants

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Sunday - June 13, 2010

From: Wylie, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Privacy Screening
Title: Trees for screen around pool near Dallas
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I am looking for a native plant to use around a pool to provide screening (I am putting in a 12 ft tall set of flag poles to suspend a sun screen the HOA wants me to block the flag poles) I have 8 ft between the pool and the fence. What plants? Is 8 ft wide enough?

ANSWER:

Well, a little wider would be better, but we'll see what we can find for you. If nothing else, you could build a trellis for vines that would screen your poles.

Here are several small native trees that should fit in the area:

Frangula caroliniana (Carolina buckthorn)

Cercis canadensis var. texensis (Texas redbud)

Viburnum rufidulum (rusty blackhaw)

Prunus mexicana (Mexican plum)

Ilex decidua (possumhaw)

Ilex vomitoria (yaupon) This tree is evergreen.

Here are some evergreen vines:

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle)

Bignonia capreolata (crossvine)

Gelsemium sempervirens (evening trumpetflower)

You can see more choices on our Texas-North Central Recommended list. You can also find a List of Native Plants for Landscape Use in Dallas–Ft. Worth on the webpage of the Collin County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas.