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.

291 products

    291 products
    Sophora Little Baby 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

    Sophora Little Baby

    £11.79£13.99Save 15%
    1
    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Purple False Shamrock (Mijke)

    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke'

    £10.99£12.99Save 15%
    1
    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Painted Fern 'Metallicum'

    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum'

    £9.99£12.99Save 23%
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £16.99£17.99Save 5%
    1
    Variegated Meyer Lemon 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    £12.99£14.99Save 13%
    1
    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Umbrella Tree (Hardy Schefflera)

    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum

    £39.99
    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
    Soleirolia soleirolii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

    Soleirolia soleirolii

    £5.99
    1
    Musa basjoo Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Banana

    Musa basjoo

    £16.29£16.99
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Mix' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Mix'

    £8.99
    1
    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Pineapple Lily

    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

    £10.79£12.99Save 16%
    1
    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Vermilion Montbretia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    £7.99£8.99Save 11%
    1
    Trachycarpus wagnerianus 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

    Trachycarpus wagnerianus

    £38.29£44.99Save 14%
    1
    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings' 13cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

    £19.79£24.99Save 20%
    1
    Senecio maritima 'Silver Dust' (Dusty Miller) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Polystichum rigens Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Rigid holly fern

    Polystichum rigens

    £5.49£6.99Save 21%
    1
    Chamaerops humilis 14cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

    Chamaerops humilis

    £17.49£21.99Save 20%
    1
    Corokia cotoneaster Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire-netting bush

    Corokia cotoneaster

    £9.29£9.99Save 7%
    1
    Pseudopanax 'Cyril Watson' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cyril Watson Pseudopanax

    Pseudopanax 'Cyril Watson'

    £24.99
    1
    Pennisetum 'Rubrum' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Purple Fountain Grass 'Rubrum'

    Pennisetum 'Rubrum'

    £12.49£13.99Save 10%
    1
    Yucca 'Ivory Tower' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Adam's Needle

    Yucca 'Ivory Tower'

    £22.79£26.99Save 15%
    1
    Pseudowintera colorata 'Marjorie Congreve' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Horopito (NZ Pepper Tree)

    Pseudowintera colorata 'Marjorie Congreve'

    £9.99
    1
    Cyrtomium falcatum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Holly Fern

    Cyrtomium falcatum

    £4.99£5.99Save 16%
    1
    Jasminum nudiflorum 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Winter Jasmine

    Jasminum nudiflorum

    £13.29£16.99Save 21%
    1
    Agave 'Blue Emperor' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Blue Emperor Agave

    Agave 'Blue Emperor'

    £22.99
    1
    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Mediterranean Spurge

    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan'

    £6.99£7.99Save 12%
    1
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £22.99£28.99Save 20%
    1
    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Full Moon Maple (Shirasawa Maple)

    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise'

    £40.29£49.99Save 19%
    1
    Punica granatum (Pomegranate) 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum (Pomegranate)

    £13.79£16.99Save 18%
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwan Lace Fatsia

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'

    £25.29£29.99Save 15%
    1
    Sparmannia africana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    African Hemp (House Lime)

    Sparmannia africana

    £23.49£24.99Save 6%
    1
    Cussonia spicata 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Cabbage Tree

    Cussonia spicata

    £22.99
    1
    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Conebush 'Mrs Stanley'

    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley'

    £14.99
    1
    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Firefern 'Nordlys' (Molten Lava Sorrel)

    Oxalis spiralis vulcanicola 'Nordlys'

    £7.79£8.99Save 13%
    1
    Pleroma foveolatum 'Blue Moon' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Glory Bush 'Blue Moon'

    Pleroma foveolatum 'Blue Moon'

    £22.99
    1
    Polystichum munitum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Western sword fern

    Polystichum munitum

    £11.79£13.99Save 15%
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Cinnamomum camphora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Camphor Tree

    Cinnamomum camphora

    £39.99
    1
    Sarcococca confusa 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Sweet Box, Christmas Box

    Sarcococca confusa

    £14.99£16.99Save 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.