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.

345 products

    345 products
    Beschorneria albiflora 23cm / 5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    White-flowered Mexican Lily

    Beschorneria albiflora

    £28.99
    1
    Acer palmatum 'Bi Hoo' 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Yellow Bark Japanese Maple 'Bi Hoo'

    Acer palmatum 'Bi Hoo'

    £29.99£39.99Save 25%
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Mix' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Taiwanese Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Mix'

    £8.99
    1
    Variegated Meyer Lemon 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    Variegated Meyer Lemon

    £12.99£14.99Save 13%
    1
    Cyclamen persicum Metis 'Victoria' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mini Cyclamen

    Cyclamen persicum Metis 'Victoria'

    £4.99
    1
    Cyclamen persicum Winfall 'Scarlet' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Mini Cyclamen

    Cyclamen persicum Winfall 'Scarlet'

    £4.99
    1
    Cyclamen coum 'Xmas Leaf' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy Winter Cyclamen

    Cyclamen coum 'Xmas Leaf'

    £5.99
    1
    Cyclamen coum 'White Xmas Leaf' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy Winter Cyclamen

    Cyclamen coum 'White Xmas Leaf'

    £5.99
    1
    Lonicera crassifolia 'Little Honey' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Creeping honeysuckle

    Lonicera crassifolia 'Little Honey'

    £11.79£14.99Save 21%
    1
    Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (Dwarf Sweet Box) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Sweet Box

    Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (Dwarf Sweet Box)

    £14.79£20.99Save 29%
    1
    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Lilyturf

    Liriope muscari 'Moneymaker'

    £14.99
    1
    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dwarf Japanese pittosporum

    Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum'

    £6.99
    1
    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Native Lilac (Purple Coral Pea)

    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea

    £7.49£9.99Save 25%
    1
    Cornus alba Nightfall 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dark-leaved Dogwood

    Cornus alba Nightfall

    £26.99
    1
    Callistemon rigidus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Stiff Bottlebrush

    Callistemon rigidus

    £8.49£8.99Save 5%
    1
    Hosta 'Praying Hands' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Praying Hands'

    £8.99£9.99Save 10%
    1
    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' 13cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Golden Japanese Rush

    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    1
    Sarcococca Winter Gem Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Sweet Box (Christmas Box), Winter Gem

    Sarcococca Winter Gem

    £14.99
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Purpureus' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Purple False Holly

    Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Purpureus'

    £14.99
    1
    Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis Fragrant Mountain Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Hosta 'Brim Cup' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Brim Cup'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    1
    Imperata cylindrica Red Baron 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Blood Grass, Red Baron

    Imperata cylindrica Red Baron

    £12.29£14.99Save 18%
    1
    Aeonium haworthii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Pinwheel (Haworth's Aeonium)

    Aeonium haworthii

    £9.99
    1
    Abutilon 'Estella's Little Bird' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chinese lantern

    Abutilon 'Estella's Little Bird'

    £18.99
    1
    Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Whale's tongue agave

    Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie'

    £25.99
    1
    Agave parrasana 'Globe' 12cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cabbage head agave

    Agave parrasana 'Globe'

    £20.99
    1
    Aloe polyphylla 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Spiral aloe

    Aloe polyphylla

    £15.99
    1
    Fatsia japonica 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Japanese Aralia, Paper Plant

    Fatsia japonica

    £14.79£17.99Save 17%
    1
    × Fatshedera lizei 'Annemieke' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Tree ivy

    × Fatshedera lizei 'Annemieke'

    £21.99
    1
    Griselinia littoralis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

    Griselinia littoralis

    £6.99
    1
    Pseudopanax crassifolius 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Lancewood

    Pseudopanax crassifolius

    £29.99
    1
    Pseudopanax ferox 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Toothed lancewood

    Pseudopanax ferox

    £31.99
    1
    Punica granatum 'Maxima Rubra' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Flowering pomegranate

    Punica granatum 'Maxima Rubra'

    £35.99
    1
    Punica granatum 'Sverkhranniy' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Pomegranate

    Punica granatum 'Sverkhranniy'

    £35.99
    1
    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Pink Variegated Fountain Grass 'Summer Samba'

    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba'

    £11.29£14.99Save 24%
    1
    Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy Cast Iron Plant

    Aspidistra zongbayi 'Yunnan Sunbeam'

    £24.99
    1
    Musa 'Ever Red' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Red Banana Plant

    Musa 'Ever Red'

    £16.99
    1
    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Dwarf Pineapple Lily

    Eucomis vandermerwei 'Octopus'

    £9.79£12.99Save 24%
    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.