Hardy Exotics


Hardy exotic plants for UK gardens. Palms, tree ferns, bamboos, hardy bananas and architectural grasses that hold their ground through a British winter and still put on a proper show the following summer. Every dispatch protected by our live arrival guarantee.

113 products

    113 products
    Cyathea cooperi Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Cyathea cooperi

    £15.99
    1
    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern

    £12.99
    1
    Cussonia spicata 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Cabbage Tree

    Cussonia spicata

    £22.99
    1
    Cyathea tomentosissima Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

    Cyathea tomentosissima

    £16.99
    1
    Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' 14cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicalsSale

    Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web'

    £13.99 £14.49
    1
    Musa basjoo Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Japanese Banana

    Musa basjoo

    £16.99
    1
    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

    £4.99
    1
    Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Siberian Bugloss 'Silver Heart'

    Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart'

    £14.99
    1
    Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Passion Fruit

    Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit)

    £18.99
    1
    Passiflora caerulea Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Passion Flower

    Passiflora caerulea

    £14.99
    1
    Agave stricta 'Nana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

    Agave stricta 'Nana'

    £10.99
    1
    Trachycarpus wagnerianus 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

    Trachycarpus wagnerianus

    £39.99
    1
    Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chocolate Persian Silk Tree

    Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate'

    £34.99
    1
    Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Fescue

    Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue'

    £5.49
    1
    Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Flame Lily

    Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana'

    £62.99
    1
    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

    £14.99
    1
    Begonia 'Darkside of the Moon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Begonia 'Darkside of the Moon'

    Begonia 'Darkside of the Moon'

    £21.99
    1
    Matteuccia struthiopteris Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

    Matteuccia struthiopteris

    £8.99
    1
    Muehlenbeckia complexa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

    Muehlenbeckia complexa

    £6.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Japanese Maple 'Black Lace'

    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace'

    £42.99
    1
    Musa 'Ever Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Banana Plant

    Musa 'Ever Red'

    £16.99
    1
    Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Cider Gum 'Azura'

    Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura'

    £27.99
    1
    Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Kiwi

    Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

    £19.99
    1
    Pachysandra terminalis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Japanese Spurge

    Pachysandra terminalis

    £5.59
    1
    Festuca 'Intense Blue' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Fescue

    Festuca 'Intense Blue'

    £14.99
    1
    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Mexican Feather Grass

    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails'

    £5.99
    1
    Polystichum tsus-simense Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Korean Rock Fern

    Polystichum tsus-simense

    £8.99
    1
    Blechnum tabulare Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Mountain blechnum

    Blechnum tabulare

    £37.99
    1
    Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Male Fern

    Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla'

    £7.99
    1
    Eucomis bicolor 'White' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pineapple Lily

    Eucomis bicolor 'White'

    £13.99
    1
    Dryopteris koidzumiana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dryopteris koidzumiana

    £10.99
    1
    Actinidia kolomikta Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Kiwi Vine

    Actinidia kolomikta

    £18.99
    1
    Aeonium nigrum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Aeonium

    Aeonium nigrum

    £13.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Japanese Wisteria ('Hon-beni')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'

    £30.99
    1
    Orontium aquaticum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Club

    Orontium aquaticum

    £13.99
    1
    Catalpa erubescens 'Purpurea' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Indian Bean Tree

    Catalpa erubescens 'Purpurea'

    £52.99
    1
    Yucca gloriosa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Spanish Dagger

    Yucca gloriosa

    £59.99
    1
    Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Lace Elder 'Eva' PBR

    Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

    £16.99
    1

    The GrowTropicals Guide to Hardy Exotics

    What are hardy exotic plants?

    Hardy exotics is our shorthand for tropical-looking plants that are genuinely tough enough to live outdoors in the UK all year without a greenhouse. The range spans hardy palms, tree ferns, clumping bamboos, hardy bananas, architectural grasses, hardy climbers and drought-tolerant succulents. Each species is chosen because it can handle real British weather: a wet Yorkshire winter, a windy coastal site, a baking August in a south-facing courtyard. Before your first order, we recommend reading our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons.

    Care essentials for hardy tropical plants

    • Position: Most enjoy a sheltered spot in full sun to partial shade. Tree ferns, Fatsia and hardy ferns prefer real shade. Always check the individual product page for its own aspect.
    • Soil: A moist but well-drained soil enriched with garden compost suits most hardy exotics. Free-draining is the priority for palms, agaves and grasses. Leafy, humus-rich soil is better for bananas, ferns and shade lovers.
    • Hardiness: Every product page lists an RHS hardiness rating (H3 to H7). Anything H5 or above will get through most UK winters unaided.
    • Watering: Water in deeply at planting and through the first summer. Established hardy exotics in the ground rarely need summer watering once settled. Anything in a pot does, sometimes twice a week in July.
    • Winter care: Bananas and tender palms benefit from a fleece wrap or dry mulch through the coldest weeks. Everything else looks after itself.

    Explore the hardy exotic range

    Whether you are planting up a small London balcony or a proper exotic border, our range covers hardy palms, tree ferns, clumping bamboos, hardy bananas, ornamental grasses and much more. Every dispatch is protected by our live arrival guarantee.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A hardy exotic is a plant that looks tropical, with bold foliage or an architectural shape, but is tough enough to survive outdoors in the UK climate. Examples include hardy palms, tree ferns, bamboo and Musa basjoo bananas.

    Yes. Plenty of exotic-looking plants are genuinely hardy here. The trick is choosing plants rated for your area and giving the more tender ones a sheltered spot. Every plant we sell is labelled with its hardiness so you can choose with confidence.

    Hardy palms, tree ferns, bananas and agaves all grow happily in large pots, making them perfect for patios, balconies and courtyards. Big leaves and bold shapes in containers create an instant tropical feel in a small space.

    It depends on the plant and your area. Many are fully hardy and need nothing. More tender types, or plants in very cold or exposed gardens, benefit from a winter fleece, a deep mulch or moving pots to a sheltered spot. The hardiness rating on each plant is your guide.

    Late spring is ideal, once the worst frosts have passed and the soil is warming, as it gives plants a full season to establish before their first winter. Pot-grown plants can go in through summer and autumn too.

    Create a tropical garden that survives a British winter

    You do not need to live in the tropics to grow a jungle. Hardy exotic plants give you the big leaves, bold shapes and lush, faraway feel of a tropical garden, but they are tough enough to shrug off a normal UK winter. From a single architectural specimen in a courtyard to a full exotic border, this collection brings together palms, tree ferns, bananas, bamboo, grasses and more, all chosen to thrive in the British climate.

    Exotic plants for small spaces

    A balcony, patio or small courtyard is one of the easiest places to create a tropical feel, because a few big, bold plants in pots do all the work. A hardy palm by the door, a tree fern in a shady corner or a banana in a large container instantly changes the mood of a space. Most of these plants are happy in pots for years, which makes them ideal for renters and city gardens too.

    Building a bigger exotic border

    With more room you can layer plants for real drama: tall bananas and palms for height, tree ferns and shield ferns for the shady middle, and grasses and architectural foliage to tie it all together. Mixing leaf shapes and sizes is the secret to a garden that feels generous and immersive rather than spotty.

    How hardy is hardy?

    Hardiness varies, so we label every plant with its RHS rating and the lowest temperature it will take. Many are fully hardy across the UK, while a few of the more tender exotics appreciate a sheltered spot or a winter fleece in colder areas. Check the rating on each plant and you can plant with confidence.

    Explore the range by type

    Find the right plants for your space: hardy palms, tree ferns, bamboo, hardy bananas, ornamental grasses, climbers, agave and succulents, hardy ferns, perennials and exotic shrubs.