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.

323 products

    323 products
    Hakonechloa macra 'Sunflare' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'Sunflare'

    £12.99
    1
    Variegated Meyer Lemon 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    £12.99£14.99Save 13%
    1
    Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy schefflera 'Mountain Gem'

    Heptapleurum alpinum 'Mountain Gem' | Schefflera alpina

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

    Oregon Grape

    Mahonia eurybracteata 'Volcano'

    £26.29£34.99Save 24%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    1
    Punica granatum (Pomegranate) 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum (Pomegranate)

    £13.79£16.99Save 18%
    1
    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Afghan fig 'Silver Lyre'

    Ficus afghanistanica 'Silver Lyre'

    £16.49£21.99Save 25%
    1
    Muehlenbeckia complexa 6cm Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

    Muehlenbeckia complexa

    £5.99£6.99Save 14%
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Jasminum nudiflorum 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Winter Jasmine

    Jasminum nudiflorum

    £12.79£16.99Save 24%
    1
    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Pineapple Lily

    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    1
    Musa 'Ever Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Red Banana Plant

    Musa 'Ever Red'

    £16.99
    1
    Dryopteris erythrosora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Autumn Fern

    Dryopteris erythrosora

    £10.49£13.99Save 25%
    1
    Sarcococca confusa 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Sweet Box, Christmas Box

    Sarcococca confusa

    £14.99£16.99Save 11%
    1
    Musa basjoo Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Banana

    Musa basjoo

    £16.29£16.99
    1
    Yucca 'Ivory Tower' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Adam's Needle

    Yucca 'Ivory Tower'

    £20.29£26.99Save 24%
    1
    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Conebush 'Mrs Stanley'

    Leucadendron 'Mrs Stanley'

    £14.99
    1
    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Purple False Shamrock (Mijke)

    Oxalis triangularis 'Mijke'

    £10.99£12.99Save 15%
    1
    Soleirolia soleirolii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mind Your Own Business (Baby's Tears)

    Soleirolia soleirolii

    £5.99
    1
    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Willow-leaf Sweet Box

    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box)

    £17.29£22.99Save 24%
    1
    Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Winter Ruby' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Star Jasmine (Winter Ruby)

    Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Winter Ruby'

    £16.99£18.99Save 10%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'

    £12.99
    1
    Albizia julibrissin 'Tropical Dream' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Silk tree

    Albizia julibrissin 'Tropical Dream'

    £22.49£29.99Save 25%
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwan Lace Fatsia

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'

    £25.29£29.99Save 15%
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Mix' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Mix'

    £8.99
    1
    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Umbrella Tree (Hardy Schefflera)

    Schefflera taiwaniana | Heptapleurum taiwanianum

    £39.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £16.99£17.99Save 5%
    1
    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Mediterranean Spurge

    Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan'

    £6.99£7.99Save 12%
    1
    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Native Lilac (Purple Coral Pea)

    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea

    £7.49£9.99Save 25%
    1
    Corokia cotoneaster Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wire-netting bush

    Corokia cotoneaster

    £9.29£9.99Save 7%
    1
    Fargesia 'Red Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Red Dragon'

    £18.99
    1
    Sciadopitys verticillata Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Umbrella Pine

    Sciadopitys verticillata

    £34.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Purple Japanese Maple

    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'

    £15.99
    1
    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Painted Fern 'Metallicum'

    Athyrium niponicum 'Metallicum'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    1
    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dwarf Japanese pittosporum

    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum'

    £6.99
    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
    Blechnum tabulare Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mountain blechnum

    Blechnum tabulare

    £37.99
    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.