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
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £28.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Red Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Red Dragon'

    £18.99
    1
    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Black Mondo Grass

    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

    £15.99
    1
    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Lilyturf

    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker'

    £14.99
    1
    Polystichum setiferum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Soft Shield Fern

    Polystichum setiferum

    £7.99
    1
    Dryopteris erythrosora Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Autumn Fern

    Dryopteris erythrosora

    £13.99
    1
    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Calla Lily (Arum Lily)

    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink

    £13.99
    1
    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dinner Plate Aeonium

    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated

    £16.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    White Japanese Wisteria

    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'

    £31.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £17.99
    1
    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Star Jasmine (Variegated)

    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano'

    £30.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

    £31.99
    1
    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Coleus 'Main Street Spacecake' (Painted Nettle)

    Coleus scutellarioides 'Main Street Spacecake'

    £8.99
    1
    Tetrapanax papyrifer Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Rice Paper Plant (Chinese Rice-paper Plant)

    Tetrapanax papyrifer

    £37.99
    1
    Hedera helix 'Arborescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Tree Ivy (Shrubby Ivy)

    Hedera helix 'Arborescens'

    £21.99
    1
    Washingtonia filifera Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    California Fan Palm (Desert Fan Palm)

    Washingtonia filifera

    £39.99
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Chamaerops humilis 14cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    European Fan Palm (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

    Chamaerops humilis

    £21.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Jiuzhaigou' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Panda Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Jiuzhaigou'

    £54.99
    1
    Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Zebra Grass

    Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'

    £8.99
    1
    Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Portuguese Edible Fig

    Ficus carica 'Del Portogallo'

    £39.99
    1
    Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Indian Bean Tree

    Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea'

    £49.99
    1
    Trachelospermum jasminoides Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Star Jasmine (Confederate Jasmine)

    Trachelospermum jasminoides

    £21.99
    1
    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Variegated Fountain Grass 'Summer Samba'

    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba'

    £14.99
    1
    Pennisetum 'Rubrum' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Fountain Grass 'Rubrum'

    Pennisetum 'Rubrum'

    £13.99
    1
    Pennisetum 'Fireworks' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Fountain Grass 'Fireworks'

    Pennisetum 'Fireworks'

    £13.99
    1
    Hosta 'Party Streamers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Streaked Hosta 'Party Streamers'

    Hosta 'Party Streamers'

    £24.99
    1
    Hosta 'Francee' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    White-Edged Hosta

    Hosta 'Francee'

    £10.99
    1
    Hosta 'Elegans' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Giant Blue Hosta

    Hosta 'Elegans'

    £10.99
    1
    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Vermilion Montbretia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    Crocosmia 'Carmine Brilliant'

    £19.99
    Clematis armandii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Armand Clematis (Evergreen Clematis)

    Clematis armandii

    £24.99
    1
    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Japanese Rush

    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'

    £7.99
    1
    Acorus calamus 'Argenteostriatus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Sweet Flag

    Acorus calamus 'Argenteostriatus'

    £7.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Japanese Maple 'Orange Dream'

    Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'

    £16.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Japanese Maple

    Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'

    £15.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Bi Hoo' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Yellow Bark Japanese Maple 'Bi Hoo'

    Acer palmatum 'Bi Hoo'

    £39.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Anne Irene' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Yellow Japanese Maple 'Anne Irene'

    Acer palmatum 'Anne Irene'

    £39.99
    1
    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Full Moon Maple (Shirasawa Maple)

    Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise'

    £49.99
    1
    Canna 'Kreta Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Kreta Red'

    £16.99
    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.