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.

81 products

    81 products
    Cyathea cooperi Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Cyathea cooperi

    £15.99
    1
    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Dicksonia antarctica | Tree Fern

    £12.99
    1
    Cussonia spicata 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Cabbage Tree

    Cussonia spicata

    £22.99
    1
    Cyathea tomentosissima Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals
    Golden Dwarf Tree Fern

    Cyathea tomentosissima

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

    Musa basjoo

    £16.99
    1
    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cyrtomium fortunei 'clivicola'

    £4.99
    1
    Trachycarpus wagnerianus 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

    Trachycarpus wagnerianus

    £39.99
    1
    Agave stricta 'Nana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

    Agave stricta 'Nana'

    £10.99
    1
    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Silver Velvet Senecio 'Angel Wings'

    Senecio candidans 'Angel Wings'

    £14.99
    1
    Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Fescue

    Festuca glauca 'Compact Blue'

    £5.49
    1
    Muehlenbeckia complexa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

    Muehlenbeckia complexa

    £6.99
    1
    Musa 'Ever Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Banana Plant

    Musa 'Ever Red'

    £16.99
    1
    Matteuccia struthiopteris Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

    Matteuccia struthiopteris

    £8.99
    1
    Aeonium nigrum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Aeonium

    Aeonium nigrum

    £13.99
    1
    Aeonium arboreum 'Velours' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dark Purple Aeonium 'Velours'

    Aeonium arboreum 'Velours'

    £12.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Japanese Maple 'Black Lace'

    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace'

    £42.99
    1
    Eucomis bicolor 'White' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pineapple Lily

    Eucomis bicolor 'White'

    £13.99
    1
    Festuca 'Intense Blue' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Fescue

    Festuca 'Intense Blue'

    £14.99
    1
    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Mexican Feather Grass

    Stipa tenuissima 'Ponytails'

    £5.99
    1
    Polystichum tsus-simense Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Korean Rock Fern

    Polystichum tsus-simense

    £8.99
    1
    Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Male Fern

    Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactyla'

    £7.99
    1
    Blechnum tabulare Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Mountain blechnum

    Blechnum tabulare

    £37.99
    1
    Dryopteris koidzumiana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dryopteris koidzumiana

    £10.99
    1
    Agave 'Shaka Zulu' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Agave 'Shaka Zulu'

    £26.99
    1
    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Iron Cross / Good Luck Plant (Lucky Clover)

    Oxalis tetraphylla (deppei) 'Iron Cross'

    £7.99
    1
    Oxalis regnellii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Green False Shamrock (Lucky Clover / Good Luck Plant)

    Oxalis regnellii

    £10.99
    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
    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Japanese Wisteria ('Hon-beni')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'

    £30.99
    1
    Orontium aquaticum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Club

    Orontium aquaticum

    £13.99
    1
    Catalpa erubescens 'Purpurea' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Indian Bean Tree

    Catalpa erubescens 'Purpurea'

    £52.99
    1
    Yucca gloriosa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Spanish Dagger

    Yucca gloriosa

    £59.99
    1
    Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Lace Elder 'Eva' PBR

    Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'

    £16.99
    1
    Mahonia x media 'Charity' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Winter-Flowering Mahonia 'Charity'

    Mahonia x media 'Charity'

    £19.99
    1
    Crocosmia 'George Davidson' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Yellow Montbretia 'George Davidson'

    Crocosmia 'George Davidson'

    £19.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Beni-maiko' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Japanese Maple 'Beni-maiko'

    Acer palmatum 'Beni-maiko'

    £16.99
    1
    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades'

    £11.99
    1
    Canna 'Alaska White' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Alaska White'

    £16.99
    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.