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
    Mahonia x media 'Charity' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Winter-Flowering Mahonia 'Charity'

    Mahonia x media 'Charity'

    £19.99
    1
    Aeonium arboreum 'Velours' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dark Purple Aeonium 'Velours'

    Aeonium arboreum 'Velours'

    £12.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Beni-maiko' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Japanese Maple 'Beni-maiko'

    Acer palmatum 'Beni-maiko'

    £16.99
    1
    Hibiscus syriacus 'Duc de Brabant' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Rose of Sharon 'Duc de Brabant'

    Hibiscus syriacus 'Duc de Brabant'

    £11.99
    1
    Hibiscus syriacus 'Hamabo' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Rose of Sharon 'Hamabo'

    Hibiscus syriacus 'Hamabo'

    £11.99
    1
    Begonia 'Sterling Moon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Sterling Moon Rex Begonia

    Begonia 'Sterling Moon'

    £21.99
    1
    Begonia 'Harvest Moon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Trailing Tuberous Begonia 'Harvest Moon'

    Begonia 'Harvest Moon'

    £21.99
    1
    Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Abyssinian Banana

    Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

    £17.99
    1
    Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Smoke Bush 'Royal Purple'

    Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

    £23.99
    1
    Aristolochia macrophylla Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dutchman's Pipe

    Aristolochia macrophylla

    £28.99
    1
    Campsis radicans Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Trumpet Vine

    Campsis radicans

    £19.99
    1
    Nandina domestica 'Obsessed' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Heavenly Bamboo 'Obsessed'

    Nandina domestica 'Obsessed'

    £19.99
    1
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £28.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Red Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Red Dragon'

    £18.99
    1
    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Mondo Grass

    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

    £15.99
    1
    Polystichum setiferum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Soft Shield Fern

    Polystichum setiferum

    £7.99
    1
    Dryopteris erythrosora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Autumn Fern

    Dryopteris erythrosora

    £13.99
    1
    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades'

    £11.99
    1
    Canna 'Alaska White' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Alaska White'

    £16.99
    1
    Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack of Diamonds' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Siberian Bugloss 'Jack of Diamonds'

    Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack of Diamonds'

    £16.99
    1
    Agave 'Shaka Zulu' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Agave 'Shaka Zulu'

    £26.99
    1
    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Calla Lily (Arum Lily)

    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink

    £13.99
    1
    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dinner Plate Aeonium

    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated

    £16.99
    1
    Albizia julibrissin 'Ombrella' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Silk Tree (Persian Silk Tree)

    Albizia julibrissin 'Ombrella'

    £24.99
    1
    Edgeworthia chrysantha grandiflora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Paperbush

    Edgeworthia chrysantha grandiflora

    £32.99
    1
    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Iron Cross / Good Luck Plant (Lucky Clover)

    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross'

    £7.99
    1
    Oxalis regnellii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Green False Shamrock (Lucky Clover / Good Luck Plant)

    Oxalis regnellii

    £10.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    White Japanese Wisteria

    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'

    £31.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £17.99
    1
    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Star Jasmine (Variegated)

    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano'

    £30.99
    1
    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Bourbon Street' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Coleus 'Main Street Bourbon Street' (Painted Nettle)

    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Bourbon Street'

    £9.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

    £31.99
    1
    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Coleus 'Main Street Spacecake' (Painted Nettle)

    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake'

    £8.99
    1
    Tetrapanax papyrifer Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Rice Paper Plant (Chinese Rice-paper Plant)

    Tetrapanax papyrifer

    £37.99
    1
    Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Climbing Hydrangea

    Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

    £31.99
    1
    Hedera helix 'Arborescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Tree Ivy (Shrubby Ivy)

    Hedera helix 'Arborescens'

    £21.99
    1
    Washingtonia filifera Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    California Fan Palm (Desert Fan Palm)

    Washingtonia filifera

    £39.99
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Chamaerops humilis 14cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

    Chamaerops humilis

    £21.99
    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.