Hardy Perennials


Hardy perennials with an exotic edge for UK gardens: long-lived, bold-foliage species that return every year without fuss. Cannas, hardy Begonia, Brunnera, Pachysandra and other reliable plants for exotic borders, shade and pots.

95 products

    95 products
    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Red' (Cape Figwort) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Variegated Mediterranean Spurge

    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan'

    £7.99
    1
    Astilbe 'Dark Side of the Moon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    False Goatsbeard

    Astilbe 'Dark Side of the Moon'

    £16.99
    1
    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings' 13cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

    £14.99
    1
    Hosta 'Brim Cup' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Brim Cup'

    £7.99
    1
    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

    £8.99
    1
    Hosta 'Delta Dawn' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Delta Dawn'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Patriot' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Bold White-Edged Hosta 'Patriot'

    Hosta 'Patriot'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Summer Lovin' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Summer Lovin'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Undulata Aureomarginata' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Wavy Cream-Edged Hosta

    Hosta 'Undulata Aureomarginata'

    £10.99
    1
    Kniphofia citrina 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Yellow Red Hot Poker (Torch Lily)

    Kniphofia citrina

    £8.99
    1
    Hosta 'Elegans' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Giant Blue Hosta

    Hosta 'Elegans'

    £10.99
    1
    Hosta 'Sunset Grooves' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Sunset Grooves'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Frozen Margarita' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Frozen Margarita'

    £8.99
    1
    Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Hosta 'Praying Hands' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Praying Hands'

    £9.99
    1
    Hosta 'Francee' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    White-Edged Hosta

    Hosta 'Francee'

    £10.99
    1
    Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'

    £7.99
    1
    Agapanthus africanus White Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    White African Lily

    Agapanthus africanus White

    £10.99
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Mix' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Mix'

    £8.99
    1
    Hosta fortunei 'Bobcat' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta fortunei 'Bobcat'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Gold Standard' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Gold Standard'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Colored Hulk' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Colored Hulk'

    £7.99
    1
    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Rose' (Cape Figwort) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Crocosmia masoniorum 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Giant Montbretia

    Crocosmia masoniorum

    £8.99
    1
    Hosta 'Catherine' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Catherine'

    £8.99
    1
    Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Siberian Bugloss 'Silver Heart'

    Brunnera macrophylla 'Silver Heart'

    £14.99
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

    £8.99
    1
    Hosta 'Big Daddy' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Big Daddy'

    £8.99
    1
    Canna indica Cannova Rose 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Indian Shot

    Canna indica Cannova Rose

    £15.99
    1
    Hosta 'Lakeside Little Tuft' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Lakeside Little Tuft'

    £8.99
    1
    Oxalis Sunset Yellow Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Sunset Yellow

    £9.99
    1
    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Tangerine' (Cape Figwort) 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Oxalis Vulcan Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Vulcan Pink

    £9.99
    1
    Hosta fortunei 'First Blush' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta fortunei 'First Blush'

    £11.99
    1
    Libertia sessiliflora 'Caerulescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chilean Libertia

    Libertia sessiliflora 'Caerulescens'

    £7.99
    1
    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Vermilion Montbretia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    £8.99
    1
    Pachysandra terminalis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Spurge

    Pachysandra terminalis

    £5.59
    1
    Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Red Hot Poker (Torch Lily)

    Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle'

    £11.99
    1

    The GrowTropicals Guide to Hardy Perennials

    What are hardy perennials?

    Hardy perennials are non-woody plants that return year after year from a persistent root system. In a hardy exotic border they play the connecting role between big structural anchors and low ground cover: Cannas that die back in winter and re-sprout at 1.5 metres by August, hardy Begonia grandis for late-season colour in shade, Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' with silver-leaved presence under trees. They are the reliable engine of a mature exotic scheme. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

    Care essentials for hardy perennials

    • Position: Species-specific. Cannas and hardy Begonia want sun to partial shade. Brunnera and Pachysandra want real shade.
    • Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained. Hardy perennials reward heavy soil enrichment at planting and a spring mulch of compost.
    • Hardiness: Individual RHS bands per product. Most stocked here are H5 or better and survive UK winters unprotected.
    • Autumn: Do not cut back too early. Hollow stems shelter overwintering insects. Wait until late February or March for the annual clear-up.
    • Division: Divide clumps every three to five years to keep plants vigorous. Best done in early spring as new growth emerges.

    Explore the hardy perennial range

    Combine hardy perennials with exotic border plants for a layered scheme, with pollinator plants for wildlife value, and with shade plants under trees. See the full Hardy Exotics range for compatible companions.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A hardy perennial is a plant that lives for many years and survives winter outdoors, dying back and regrowing or staying evergreen. Plant one once and it returns each year, which makes perennials the backbone of a low-effort garden.

    No, that is their great advantage. Perennials come back on their own each year and generally grow larger over time. The only occasional job is dividing big clumps every few years to keep them healthy.

    Many perennials grow well in containers and make long-lived patio and balcony plants. Use a good loam-based compost, water in dry spells, feed in spring, and repot or divide when the plant outgrows its container.

    Spring and autumn are the best times, when the soil is moist and roots establish quickly. Pot-grown perennials can be planted through summer too, as long as you keep them well watered.

    Most are fully hardy and need little. Cut back faded growth in autumn or late winter, leave some seedheads for structure and wildlife, and mulch in spring to feed the soil and lock in moisture.

    Hardy perennials that come back every year

    Hardy perennials are the dependable heart of any garden: plant them once and they return, bigger and better, year after year. The perennials in this collection lean towards the bold and the exotic, with strong foliage and striking flowers that add a lush, slightly tropical feel to a border without the work of replanting each season.

    Perennials for pots, patios and balconies

    Plenty of perennials are happy in containers, which makes them a great, long-lived choice for a patio or balcony. Unlike bedding, they earn their keep season after season, and many bring fresh foliage in spring, flowers in summer and seedheads or evergreen leaves into winter. Group a few pots together for a layered, generous display in a small space.

    Building a perennial border

    In a border, perennials do the heavy lifting. Layer them by height, repeat a few favourites for rhythm, and combine bold foliage with airy flowers for contrast. Because they come back each year, a perennial border only gets fuller and more beautiful as it matures.

    Planting and care

    Plant in spring or autumn into soil improved with organic matter, water well while they establish, and mulch each spring. Cut back faded growth in autumn or late winter, and lift and divide congested clumps every few years to keep them vigorous. Most need very little beyond that.