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
    Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Sweet Box

    Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna

    £14.99£19.99Save 25%
    1
    Aeonium haworthii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Pinwheel (Haworth's Aeonium)

    Aeonium haworthii

    £9.99
    1
    Abutilon 'Patrick Synge' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Hardy Abutilon 'Patrick Synge'

    Abutilon 'Patrick Synge'

    £17.99
    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
    Tulbaghia violacea 'Purple' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Society Garlic

    Tulbaghia violacea 'Purple'

    £6.79£8.99Save 24%
    1
    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Black Mondo Grass

    Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

    £15.99
    1
    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Red' (Cape Figwort) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    1
    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Rose' (Cape Figwort) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Cape Figwort

    Phygelius x rectus 'Candy Drops Rose' (Cape Figwort)

    £8.49£8.99Save 5%
    1
    Rhodocoma capensis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Cape Restio

    Rhodocoma capensis

    £12.99
    1
    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Calla Lily (Arum Lily)

    Zantedeschia aethiopica Pink

    £10.49£13.99Save 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
    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace' 19cm / 3L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Black Japanese Maple 'Black Lace'

    Acer palmatum 'Black Lace'

    £42.99
    1
    Dianella revoluta 'Blue Stream' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Blue Flax Lily

    Dianella revoluta 'Blue Stream'

    £15.99
    1
    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' 13cm / 1L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Golden Japanese Rush

    Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    1
    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Pink Variegated Fountain Grass 'Summer Samba'

    Pennisetum 'Summer Samba'

    £11.29£14.99Save 24%
    1
    Hosta 'Lakeside Little Tuft' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Lakeside Little Tuft'

    £7.49£8.99Save 16%
    1
    Hosta fortunei 'Bobcat' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta fortunei 'Bobcat'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    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
    Hosta 'Sorbet' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Sorbet'

    £5.99£7.99Save 25%
    1
    Magnolia laevifolia 'Honey Velvet' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Fairy Magnolia 'Honey Velvet'

    Magnolia laevifolia 'Honey Velvet'

    £24.99
    1
    Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Confetti Bush (Breath of Heaven)

    Diosma hirsuta 'Pink Fountain'

    £16.99
    1
    Dryopteris affinis 'Crispa' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Hardy exotic

    Dryopteris affinis 'Crispa'

    £6.79£8.99Save 24%
    1
    Hakonechloa macra 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Japanese Forest Grass

    Hakonechloa macra

    £12.99
    1
    Hosta 'Colored Hulk' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta 'Colored Hulk'

    £7.99
    1
    Cyrtomium devexiscapulae Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Sickle-leaved holly fern

    Cyrtomium devexiscapulae

    £14.99
    1
    Hosta fortunei 'Ki Ren Jyaku' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Plantain Lily

    Hosta fortunei 'Ki Ren Jyaku'

    £7.49£9.99Save 25%
    1
    Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' 23cm / 5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Merlot Redbud (Eastern Redbud)

    Cercis canadensis 'Merlot'

    £49.29£54.99Save 10%
    1
    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Toad Lily

    Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

    £8.99
    1
    Puya chilensis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Chilean Puya

    Puya chilensis

    £11.99
    1
    Yucca gloriosa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Spanish Dagger

    Yucca gloriosa

    £59.99
    1
    Cordyline australis Variegated Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Variegated Cabbage Palm

    Cordyline australis Variegated

    £13.99£19.99Save 30%
    1
    Cordyline australis 'Red Star' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Cabbage Palm 'Red Star'

    Cordyline australis 'Red Star'

    £13.99£19.99Save 30%
    1
    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Dinner Plate Aeonium

    Aeonium tabuliforme Variegated

    £16.99
    1
    Geranium maderense | Giant Herb-Robert Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Giant Herb Robert (Madeira Cranesbill)

    Geranium maderense | Giant Herb-Robert

    £15.29£18.99Save 19%
    1
    Astilbe 'Dark Side of the Moon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    False Goatsbeard

    Astilbe 'Dark Side of the Moon'

    £16.99
    1
    Agapanthus africanus White Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    White African Lily

    Agapanthus africanus White

    £8.29£10.99Save 24%
    1
    Libertia sessiliflora 'Caerulescens' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Chilean Libertia

    Libertia sessiliflora 'Caerulescens'

    £6.29£7.99Save 21%
    1
    Crocosmia 'Red King' 11cm / 0.75L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALSSale

    Montbretia 'Red King'

    Crocosmia 'Red King'

    £7.49£9.99Save 25%
    1
    Festuca 'Intense Blue' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

    Blue Fescue

    Festuca 'Intense Blue'

    £14.99
    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.