Hardy Exotic Shrubs


Hardy exotic shrubs for UK gardens: evergreen structure, dramatic foliage and reliable year-round presence. Eucalyptus, Nandina, Ficus, Catalpa and other tough shrubs chosen for exotic character in a British border, courtyard or container.

150 products

    150 products
    Sophora Little Baby 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

    Sophora Little Baby

    £11.79£13.99Save 15%
    1
    Variegated Meyer Lemon 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    £12.99£14.99Save 13%
    1
    Punica granatum (Pomegranate) 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum (Pomegranate)

    £13.79£16.99Save 18%
    1
    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Oregon Grape

    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano'

    £26.29£34.99Save 24%
    1
    Citrus trifoliata | Poncirus trifoliata 23cm / 5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Hardy orange

    Citrus trifoliata | Poncirus trifoliata

    £25.79£35.99Save 28%
    1
    Daphne Perfume Princess Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Daphne 'Perfume Princess'

    Daphne Perfume Princess

    £21.99
    1
    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Afghan fig 'Silver Lyre'

    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre'

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Jasminum nudiflorum 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Winter Jasmine

    Jasminum nudiflorum

    £12.79£16.99Save 24%
    1
    Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Meteor' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Soft-leaved Mahonia (Oregon Grape)

    Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Meteor'

    £26.29£34.99Save 24%
    1
    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Conebush 'Mrs Stanley'

    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley'

    £14.99
    1
    Sarcococca confusa 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Sweet Box, Christmas Box

    Sarcococca confusa

    £14.99£16.99Save 11%
    1
    Indigofera heterantha 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Himalayan Indigo

    Indigofera heterantha

    £19.99
    1
    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Willow-leaf Sweet Box

    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box)

    £17.29£22.99Save 24%
    1
    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Umbrella Tree (Hardy Schefflera)

    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum

    £39.99
    1
    Sarcococca hookeriana 'Purple Stem' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Purple Stem Sweet Box

    Sarcococca hookeriana 'Purple Stem'

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Albizia julibrissin 'Tropical Dream' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Silk tree

    Albizia julibrissin 'Tropical Dream'

    £22.49£29.99Save 25%
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £16.99£17.99Save 5%
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Purple Japanese Maple

    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'

    £15.99
    1
    Abutilon 'Patrick Synge' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy Abutilon 'Patrick Synge'

    Abutilon 'Patrick Synge'

    £17.99
    1
    Loropetalum Fire Dance Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Fringe Flower, Fire Dance

    Loropetalum Fire Dance

    £6.99
    1
    Callistemon rigidus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Stiff Bottlebrush

    Callistemon rigidus

    £8.99
    1
    Acacia boormanii 13cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Snowy River Wattle

    Acacia boormanii

    £19.99
    1
    Griselinia littoralis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

    Griselinia littoralis

    £6.99
    1
    Corokia cotoneaster Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire-netting bush

    Corokia cotoneaster

    £9.29£9.99Save 7%
    1
    Edgeworthia chrysantha grandiflora 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Paperbush

    Edgeworthia chrysantha grandiflora

    £32.99
    1
    Acacia pravissima 19cm / 3L (Collection Only) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Ovens Wattle (Wedge-leaved Wattle)

    Acacia pravissima

    £21.99
    1
    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Full Moon Maple (Shirasawa Maple)

    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise'

    £37.49£49.99Save 25%
    1
    Calliandra surinamensis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Pink powder puff

    Calliandra surinamensis

    £42.99
    1
    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dwarf Japanese pittosporum

    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum'

    £6.99
    1
    Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Heavenly Bamboo 'Fire Power'

    Nandina domestica 'Fire Power'

    £19.99
    1
    Chaenomeles cathayensis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Quince

    Chaenomeles cathayensis

    £11.99
    1
    Corokia × virgata Maori Silver Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Wire-Netting Bush 'Maori Silver'

    Corokia × virgata Maori Silver

    £13.99
    1
    Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Laurel 'Rozannie'

    Aucuba japonica 'Rozannie'

    £22.99
    1
    Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Beauty' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dogwood 'Winter Beauty'

    Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Beauty'

    £18.99
    1
    Daphne gemmata 'Royal Crown' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Daphne 'Royal Crown'

    Daphne gemmata 'Royal Crown'

    £22.99
    1
    Hamamelis × intermedia 'Arnold Promise' 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Witch hazel 'Arnold Promise'

    Hamamelis × intermedia 'Arnold Promise'

    £35.99
    1
    Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Honeyberry

    Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica

    £15.99
    1
    Sparmannia africana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    African Hemp (House Lime)

    Sparmannia africana

    £23.49£24.99Save 6%
    1
    Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Parris' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Evergreen magnolia 'Kay Parris'

    Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Parris'

    £29.99
    1

    The GrowTropicals Guide to Hardy Exotic Shrubs

    What are hardy exotic shrubs?

    Shrubs are the workhorses of a garden: multi-stemmed, long-lived, and structural in a way perennials rarely are. The hardy exotic ones bring that structure with a tropical or sub-tropical accent. Nandina domestica gives fine-textured evergreen foliage with red seasonal flushes. Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura' offers silver-blue rounded juvenile leaves and glaucous stems. Deciduous Catalpa 'Purpurea' and Albizia 'Summer Chocolate' contribute dark-purple canopies through summer. Together they build a shrub layer that looks nothing like a standard UK border, and they do it year after year with almost no maintenance. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

    Care essentials for hardy exotic shrubs

    • Position: Species-specific. Nandina and Eucalyptus want full sun. Catalpa colours best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. Check the individual product page.
    • Soil: Most hardy exotic shrubs want moist but well-drained soil enriched with compost at planting. Avoid waterlogged heavy clay in winter.
    • Hardiness: Individual RHS bands per product. Most stocked here are H4 to H5 (fully hardy across most of the UK). Eucalyptus is faster to establish than to overwinter as a young plant.
    • Pruning: Deciduous shrubs like Catalpa and Albizia respond well to a hard spring cut-back for larger leaves. Evergreens are best only lightly shaped; heavy pruning stresses them.
    • Watering: Water in deeply through the first two summers. Established shrubs in the ground rarely need watering. Container shrubs need regular water year-round.

    Explore the hardy exotic shrub range

    Combine hardy exotic shrubs with architectural foliage for structural focal points, exotic border plants for a jungle scheme, screening plants for privacy, and plants for pots for balcony and patio use. See the full Hardy Exotics range for companions.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Exotic shrubs are woody plants grown for their bold, often evergreen foliage and lush, tropical look, while still being tough enough for the UK climate. They give a garden structure and a faraway feel all year round.

    Compact evergreen shrubs in pots are ideal for patios, balconies and courtyards, keeping their leaves and shape through winter so a small space never looks bare. Choose a variety whose final size suits the spot.

    The shrubs in this collection are chosen to grow outdoors in the UK, and each is labelled with its hardiness rating. The more tender types simply appreciate a sheltered position or some winter protection in colder gardens.

    Yes, many evergreen and exotic shrubs grow well in large containers for years, making excellent patio and balcony plants. Use a loam-based compost, water through summer, and feed and topdress in spring.

    Most need only light pruning to keep their shape, usually after flowering or in spring. Evergreen shrubs generally want the minimum, just removing any dead, damaged or wayward growth to keep them looking neat.

    Exotic and evergreen shrubs for year-round structure

    Shrubs are the framework of a garden, and exotic shrubs give that framework a lush, faraway feel. With bold or glossy evergreen foliage and a solid, dependable presence, they hold a garden together through every season and make a green backdrop for showier plants. This collection brings together hardy exotic and evergreen shrubs chosen to thrive outdoors in the UK.

    Shrubs for pots, patios and small gardens

    A good evergreen shrub in a pot is one of the most useful things you can own. It gives year-round greenery by a door, frames a patio, or screens a corner of a balcony, all with very little fuss. Because shrubs keep their shape and leaves through winter, they stop a small space from looking bare in the colder months.

    Structure and screening in a border

    In a border, exotic shrubs provide the bones. Use them to anchor a planting scheme, create evergreen screening for privacy, or give height and substance behind perennials and grasses. A few well-placed shrubs are what make a garden feel full and established rather than flat.

    Planting and care

    Plant in spring or autumn into soil improved with organic matter, water well through the first year, and mulch in spring. Most exotic shrubs need only light pruning to shape them, and evergreen types simply want the odd tidy. Check the hardiness and light needs on each plant to match it to your spot.