Question
Hi!  We are putting in an in-ground pool in south Florida and I would love some advice for shade trees.  We had to have our Florida black olive tree removed.  Would the Shady Lady tree be appropriate for our pool area?  Does it have leaves/olives that stain?  We are currently planning for adonidias and foxtail palms but I would like a "regular" shade tree as well.  Thanks!

Answer
I am not familiar with "Shady Lady" this sounds like a local colloquialism and not a typically used name. However, most shade trees are not good for pool areas. I would recommend Palms as being the best for shade around a pool. Make sure they are hardy for your area. Perhaps a camphor tree might be ok but I would personally not use any shade tree close to a pool. If you must have shade tree look for trees known for the least invasive roots and the least leaf litter. Larger leaves are probably better as they will typically get trapped in the skimmers.
I would suggest contacting your local pool companies and asking what trees to avoid also. They will know better than anyone.

best of Luck
Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
Please check out my blogs and articles on landscape topics like this on my websites.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
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