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.

162 products

    162 products
    Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Meteor' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Soft-leaved Mahonia (Oregon Grape)

    Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis 'Meteor'

    £34.99
    1
    Agave stricta 'Nana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

    Agave stricta 'Nana'

    £10.99
    1
    Hardenbergia violacea 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Coral Pea (Happy Wanderer)

    Hardenbergia violacea

    £9.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Red Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Red Dragon'

    £18.99
    1
    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Mexican Feather Grass

    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails'

    £5.99
    1
    Mahonia x media 'Charity' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Winter-Flowering Mahonia 'Charity'

    Mahonia x media 'Charity'

    £19.99
    1
    Muehlenbeckia complexa 6cm Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

    Muehlenbeckia complexa

    £6.99
    1
    Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Confetti Bush (Breath of Heaven)

    Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'

    £16.99
    1
    Loropetalum Fire Dance Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chinese Fringe Flower, Fire Dance

    Loropetalum Fire Dance

    £6.99
    1
    Polystichum setiferum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Soft Shield Fern

    Polystichum setiferum

    £7.99
    1
    Cyathea tomentosissima Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

    Cyathea tomentosissima

    £16.99
    1
    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    1
    Sarcococca confusa 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Sweet Box, Christmas Box

    Sarcococca confusa

    £16.99
    1
    Musa basjoo Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Japanese Banana

    Musa basjoo

    £16.99
    1
    Euphorbia x martini Walberton's Little Treasure Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Compact Martin's Spurge

    Euphorbia x martini Walberton's Little Treasure

    £15.99
    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
    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale
    Purple False Shamrock (Mijke)

    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke'

    £10.99 £12.99
    1
    Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Martin's Spurge

    Euphorbia x martini 'Ascot Rainbow'

    £15.99
    1
    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

    £8.99
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Fatsia japonica 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Japanese Aralia, Paper Plant

    Fatsia japonica

    £17.99
    1
    Trachelospermum jasminoides 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Star Jasmine (Confederate Jasmine)

    Trachelospermum jasminoides

    £21.99
    1
    Oxalis Vulcan Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Vulcan Pink

    £9.99
    1
    Dietes grandiflora 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Fairy Iris (Wild Iris)

    Dietes grandiflora

    £9.99
    1
    Oxalis Sunset Yellow Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Firefern (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis Sunset Yellow

    £9.99
    1
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £28.99
    1
    Orontium aquaticum 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Club

    Orontium aquaticum

    £13.99
    1
    Fascicularia bicolor 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Hardy Bromeliad (Crimson Bromeliad)

    Fascicularia bicolor

    £11.99
    1
    Yucca gloriosa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Spanish Dagger

    Yucca gloriosa

    £59.99
    1
    Actinidia arguta Issai Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Hardy Kiwi, Kiwiberry (self-fertile)

    Actinidia arguta Issai

    £16.99
    1
    Coleus 'Love Bird' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Coleus / Painted Nettle 'Love Bird'

    Coleus 'Love Bird'

    £11.99
    1
    Matteuccia struthiopteris 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

    Matteuccia struthiopteris

    £8.99
    1
    Musa 'Ever Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Banana Plant

    Musa 'Ever Red'

    £16.99
    1
    Leptospermum scoparium | Manuka Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Manuka (New Zealand Tea Tree)

    Leptospermum scoparium | Manuka

    £15.99
    1
    Plectranthus (Coleus Grp) 'Main Street Ruby Road' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades'

    £11.99
    1
    Variegated Meyer Lemon 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    £16.99
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

    £8.99
    1
    Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Abyssinian Banana

    Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

    £17.99
    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.