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.

259 products

    259 products
    Crocosmia masoniorum 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Giant Montbretia

    Crocosmia masoniorum

    £8.99
    1
    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Lilyturf

    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker'

    £14.99
    1
    Hosta 'Sunset Grooves' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Sunset Grooves'

    £7.99
    1
    Passiflora caerulea 'Constance Eliott' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    White passion flower

    Passiflora caerulea 'Constance Eliott'

    £14.99
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'

    £12.99
    1
    Yucca gloriosa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Spanish Dagger

    Yucca gloriosa

    £59.99
    1
    Zantedeschia aethiopica 'White' 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Arum Lily (Calla Lily)

    Zantedeschia aethiopica 'White'

    £18.99
    1
    Sparmannia africana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    African Hemp (House Lime)

    Sparmannia africana

    £24.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwan Lace Fatsia

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'

    £29.99
    1
    Elegia elephantina Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Cape Reed (Large Cape Rush)

    Elegia elephantina

    £12.99 £13.99
    1
    Trachycarpus wagnerianus 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Wagner's Windmill Palm (Miniature Chusan Palm)

    Trachycarpus wagnerianus

    £25.99 £28.99
    1
    Hosta 'Praying Hands' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Praying Hands'

    £9.99
    1
    Loropetalum Fire Dance Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Fringe Flower, Fire Dance

    Loropetalum Fire Dance

    £6.99
    1
    Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Red Hot Poker (Torch Lily)

    Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle'

    £11.99
    1
    Griselinia littoralis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

    Griselinia littoralis

    £4.19 £4.99
    1
    Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Elegans' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Giant Blue Hosta

    Hosta 'Elegans'

    £10.99
    1
    Hosta 'Brim Cup' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Brim Cup'

    £7.99
    1
    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Willow-leaf Sweet Box

    Sarcococca saligna (Willow-leaf Sweet Box)

    £22.99
    1
    Hosta 'Delta Dawn' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Delta Dawn'

    £7.99
    1
    Corokia cotoneaster Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Wire-netting bush

    Corokia cotoneaster

    £9.99
    1
    Hosta fortunei 'Ki Ren Jyaku' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta fortunei 'Ki Ren Jyaku'

    £9.99
    1
    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Fatsia (Green Fingers Fatsia)

    Fatsia polycarpa 'Green Fingers'

    £17.99
    1
    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Canna Lily

    Canna 'Cannova Red Shades'

    £10.99 £11.99
    1
    Blechnum spicant Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Deer Fern

    Blechnum spicant

    £16.99
    1
    Sarcococca confusa 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Sweet Box, Christmas Box

    Sarcococca confusa

    £16.99
    1
    Cussonia spicata 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Cabbage Tree

    Cussonia spicata

    £22.99
    1
    Matteuccia struthiopteris 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

    Matteuccia struthiopteris

    £7.99 £8.99
    1
    Senecio maritima 'Silver Dust' (Dusty Miller) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Crocosmia 'Red King' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Montbretia 'Red King'

    Crocosmia 'Red King'

    £9.99
    1
    Hosta 'Summer Lovin' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Summer Lovin'

    £7.99
    1
    Hosta 'Undulata Aureomarginata' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Wavy Cream-Edged Hosta

    Hosta 'Undulata Aureomarginata'

    £10.99
    1
    Tetrapanax papyrifer 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Rice Paper Plant (Chinese Rice-paper Plant)

    Tetrapanax papyrifer

    £37.99
    1
    Hosta 'Gold Standard' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Gold Standard'

    £7.99
    1
    Sophora Little Baby 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dwarf Kowhai, Little Baby

    Sophora Little Baby

    £9.99
    1
    Festuca 'Intense Blue' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Blue Fescue

    Festuca 'Intense Blue'

    £14.99
    1
    Anisocampium sheareri Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Shearer's Paint Fern (Merlot Fern)

    Anisocampium sheareri

    £13.99
    1
    Tibouchina urvilleana 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Glory Bush (Princess Flower)

    Tibouchina urvilleana

    £9.99
    1
    Begonia luxurians 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GrowTropicals

    Palm-leaf Begonia

    Begonia luxurians

    £11.99
    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.