Hardy plants for full sun in UK gardens. Agaves, ornamental grasses, sun-loving palms and drought-tolerant perennials that positively enjoy a south-facing wall, gravel garden or baking patio corner.
A full sun spot in a UK garden gets six or more hours of direct sun through the growing season. That heats up dry soil quickly and eliminates many shade-loving plants, but it opens up a category of tough, architectural exotics that thrive on it: agaves, hardy palms, feather grasses, silver-leaved fescues and drought-tolerant Mediterranean species. All of them cope with the wet UK winter provided drainage is good. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before your first order.
Care essentials for full sun plants
Position: Six or more hours of direct sun, ideally from the south or west. A sheltered spot at the base of a warm wall is a bonus.
Soil: Free-draining is the priority. Add grit or sharp sand to heavy soil at planting. Winter wet kills more sun-lovers than winter cold.
Hardiness: Every product page carries its RHS band. Anything H5 or above handles most UK winters unprotected.
Watering: Water in deeply through the first summer. Once established, most full-sun exotics need little to no summer watering in the ground.
Mulching: A gravel mulch keeps crowns dry in winter and looks the part in a hot, sunny scheme.
