Plants for Pots, Patios & Balconies


Hardy plants for pots, patios and balconies. Compact hardy palms, clumping bamboos, ornamental grasses and drought-tolerant exotics that thrive in containers year-round, from a Central London balcony to a Yorkshire patio.

345 products

    345 products
    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Soft Caress Mahonia

    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'

    £17.99£19.99Save 10%
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwan Lace Fatsia

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'

    £24.79£29.99Save 17%
    1
    Viburnum davidii 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    David Viburnum

    Viburnum davidii

    £11.79£16.99Save 30%
    1
    Sciadopitys verticillata Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Umbrella Pine

    Sciadopitys verticillata

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

    Hardy orange

    Citrus trifoliata | Poncirus trifoliata

    £25.79£35.99Save 28%
    1
    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Afghan fig 'Silver Lyre'

    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre'

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Painted Fern 'Metallicum'

    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    1
    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Iron Cross / Good Luck Plant (Lucky Clover)

    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    1
    Musa basjoo Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Banana

    Musa basjoo

    £16.29£16.99
    1
    Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Autumn Fern 'Brilliance'

    Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'

    £5.79£6.99Save 17%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'

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

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum (Pomegranate)

    £13.79£16.99Save 18%
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

    £30.29£31.99Save 5%
    1
    Chamaerops humilis 14cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

    Chamaerops humilis

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Polystichum polyblepharum 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Tassel Fern

    Polystichum polyblepharum

    £6.29£8.99Save 30%
    1
    Jasminum nudiflorum 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Winter Jasmine

    Jasminum nudiflorum

    £12.79£16.99Save 24%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra

    £12.99
    1
    Asplenium scolopendrium 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hart's Tongue Fern

    Asplenium scolopendrium

    £18.99
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'Sunflare' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'Sunflare'

    £12.99
    1
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £21.79£28.99Save 24%
    1
    Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Oakleaf Hydrangea

    Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Oxalis Sunset Yellow Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Sunset Yellow

    £8.99£9.99Save 10%
    1
    Oxalis Vulcan Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Vulcan Pink

    £7.79£9.99Save 22%
    1
    Podocarpus henkelii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Henkel's Yellowwood

    Podocarpus henkelii

    £29.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £16.99£17.99Save 5%
    1
    Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy schefflera 'Mountain Gem'

    Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina

    £52.99
    1
    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Oregon Grape

    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano'

    £26.29£34.99Save 24%
    1
    Agave 'Shaka Zulu' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Semi-hardy exotic

    Agave 'Shaka Zulu'

    £20.29£26.99Save 24%
    1
    Agave stricta 'Nana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

    Agave stricta 'Nana'

    £10.99
    1
    Soleirolia soleirolii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

    Soleirolia soleirolii

    £5.99
    1
    Hosta 'Frozen Margarita' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Frozen Margarita'

    £6.79£8.99Save 24%
    1
    Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Winter Ruby' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Star Jasmine (Winter Ruby)

    Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Winter Ruby'

    £16.99£18.99Save 10%
    1
    Sophora Little Baby 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

    Sophora Little Baby

    £11.79£13.99Save 15%
    1
    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola' 8.5cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Fortune's Holly Fern

    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

    £4.49£4.99Save 10%
    1
    Hosta 'Catherine' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Catherine'

    £6.79£8.99Save 24%
    1
    Corokia cotoneaster Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire-netting bush

    Corokia cotoneaster

    £9.29£9.99Save 7%
    1
    Muehlenbeckia complexa 6cm Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

    Muehlenbeckia complexa

    £5.99£6.99Save 14%
    1
    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Vermilion Montbretia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    £7.99£8.99Save 11%
    1

    The GrowTropicals Guide to Plants for Pots

    What plants grow best in pots?

    Containers open up hardy exotic planting for anyone without a big garden. Compact hardy palms (Trachycarpus wagnerianus, Chamaerops humilis), clumping Fargesia bamboos, ornamental grasses and hardy agaves are all suited to life in a pot for many years. The key considerations are pot size (bigger is better for winter root protection), free-draining substrate, and watering discipline through both summer and winter. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

    Care essentials for container plants

    • Pot size: Choose a pot 5 to 10 cm wider than the root ball, and repot into a larger one every two to three years. Bigger pots buffer temperature swings better in winter.
    • Substrate: Loam-based, free-draining potting compost. Add sharp sand or grit for drought-tolerant species. Ensure the pot has generous drainage holes.
    • Watering: Container plants need water whenever the top of the compost feels dry, including through winter. In July that can be daily; in December, monthly.
    • Feeding: Liquid feed monthly from April to September with a general-purpose fertiliser. Refresh the top 3 cm of compost each spring.
    • Winter care: Move borderline pots against a sheltered wall for winter. Insulate the pot itself with bubble wrap or hessian to protect roots from the hardest frosts.

    Explore the pot-friendly range

    Pot planting is a natural fit for clumping bamboos, compact hardy palms, agaves and succulents and ornamental grasses. See the full Hardy Exotics range for more.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Plants with bold foliage and a naturally compact or slow habit do best in pots, including hardy palms, tree ferns, grasses, agaves and many foliage plants. This collection gathers exotics that thrive in containers on a patio or balcony.

    A surprising amount. Bold foliage plants, grasses, compact palms and agaves all grow well in balcony pots, giving you a tropical feel in a small, hard-surfaced space. Choose plants suited to your balcony's light, whether sunny or shaded.

    More often than plants in the ground, as containers dry out faster. Through summer, check daily in hot weather and water when the top of the compost is drying out. Bigger pots and a good compost hold moisture longer.

    As large as the space allows. Bigger containers dry out more slowly, give roots room and keep plants healthier, which means less watering and repotting. Always choose a pot with drainage holes.

    Many can, especially the hardier ones. In cold spells, move tender plants to a sheltered spot, raise pots off the ground so they drain freely, and protect roots from prolonged freezing. The hardiness rating on each plant is your guide.

    Plants that thrive in pots

    You do not need a garden to grow something beautiful. A good pot and the right plant turn a patio, doorstep or balcony into a green retreat. This collection gathers hardy exotic plants that grow happily in containers for years, from palms and tree ferns to grasses and bold foliage, all chosen to bring a lush, faraway feel to a small space.

    Perfect for patios, balconies and courtyards

    Container plants are the whole garden for many city dwellers and renters, and these plants are made for the job. Pots let you garden on hard surfaces, move plants to follow the sun or shelter, and refresh a display whenever you like. A few bold plants in good containers do more for a small space than a fussy mix of little ones.

    Choosing pots and compost

    Pick the largest container the space and your back will allow, with drainage holes, and a quality loam-based, peat-free compost. Bigger pots dry out more slowly and give roots room to grow, which means healthier plants and less watering.

    Watering and feeding

    Pots dry out faster than open ground, so the main job through summer is regular watering, daily in hot spells for thirsty plants. Feed through the growing season, topdress or repot every couple of years, and most of these plants will reward you for years.