Marianne's Response

5 ft Privacy wall

Hello, so my wife and I pulled out 3 sparky plants from our yard due to our 2nd yr of black aphids. We thought we’d buy Oleanders for color and height to keep trim. The man at nursery said they’re roots are not invasive. Hm? OK. But the more we read the opposite we find. One of the 3 holes is next to our 3″rnd pool and spa Pvc pipes so we’re a little scared to plant them due to possible pool pipe damage. Will the oleander break the pipes or not? Will the roots stay small if water is always provided and we keep them no more than 5ft tall? What do you suggest we do or plant instead for privacy, non invasive roots, full sun. Please help, thank you, John & Lori

Posted by John Patoros on September 9, 2021

Marianne's Response

I cannot guarantee that any plant will keep it's roots in place unless it is in a pot or restricted in some way. You could plant in large tubs to confine the roots or go with a fence instead if root damage is your main concern. Another idea is to put in an underground barrier near the pipes to stop any traveling roots. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti

    Search the Ask the Gardening Expert library

    Looking for a quick resolution to your problem? Marianne has answered thousands of gardening questions. One may be similar to yours. Try searching our library to get the answer you need — fast!

    My Topics

    View questions you submitted to Marianne in the past

    VIEW MY QUESTIONS