Along with your criteria of low maintenance, high privacy and very inexpensive you may also want to consider using plants that are practical around a swimming pool, this means plants that are relatively clean in regards to shedding or have large leaves that are easy to pick up and won't clog an intake filter like lots of small falling flowers and leaves do. Several palms are fairly clean in regards to shedding and can give you some privacy. As far as the expense goes, I suppose that is a relative term. Some varieties to research would be Trachycarpus fortunei, Chamaerops humilis and Syagrus queen palm. You could do a dense planting of cannas between the trunks and might even have room for some succulents. If palms are not your thing then you might consider some large espalier type trees such as Magnolia little Gem or possibly some narrow growing hedge plants such as pittosporums or podocarpus I think it would be a good idea to visit your local nursery and see what they have to recommend for your particular neighborhood/ climate zone.

You are located near the eye of the tropical palm storm! Florida has a very palm-friendly climate, and fine examples of tropical landscaping are all around you. But plopping a couple of palms and bananas in the ground will leave you disappointed, and wondering, "What is missing?" Before you buy a single palm, I recommend a visit to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens to get the full tropical experience that Florida can provide. You will be inspired by the vastness of the collection and all the exotic companion plants that help the palms show off to their best advantage. Too vast? Try Pinecrest Gardens for a more intimate tropical experience, closer what can be achieved in a back garden. Special palms you might be able to grow: Satakentia liukiuensis from Japan (scroll down the page to view image gallery) Pelagodoxa henryana from the Marquesas Islands You will want at least one clumping species, and the ultimate is Cyrtostachys renda from Thailand. This one is a little touchy -- dies if the temperature drops below 40F and needs lots of water. Also known as lipstick or red sealing wax palm. Worth the extra effort! Few palms are more tropical than the species Licuala. You can probably grow Licuala ramsayi in the shade of your maple. If you've looked at the photos, you can see that variety of shape -- single trunk, multi-trunk, feather leaf, or fan -- and color can really amp up the garden. Palms are a varied and exciting plant family when you explore beyond the common street palms. That should be enough to whet your appetite for some unique and staggeringly beautiful palms. Check out the Searle Brothers Nursery as a source of inspiration and unusual purchases. So much more to discover with a visit to this specialist nursery! Add some ti plants, bromeliads, aroids, and other tropical foliage plants to really get the tropical feel. As the palm trunks go overhead, load them up with orchids. One day the maple will seem out of place with your tropical look. Nothing against the maple, it just isn't quite the theme, ya know? Expand your thought process beyond "a few large palm trees in total" and you will surely be happier with the results.

Either :-) But in your climate (frost free), I'd plant outside. Or in a large enough container to accommodate growth but that can be moved into some protection should temps drop below freezing. Be careful about fertilizing - apparently they can be quite sensitive. And the more sun they receive the better the likelihood they will produce fruit.

Although it is fruiting otherwise your plant does not look very happy. And with trees in general distressed specimens may load up with fruits, as though trying to compensate for a likely impending future absence from the local production pool. Mango – California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. (crfg.org)