The Top 10 (Almost) Unkillable Plants to Spruce Up Your Balcony

Choosing the right plants is vital – go for unfussy, drought-resistant plants that thrive in a range of conditions, and you can turn your balcony into a sanctuary without fear of your plants dying on you. Here, home and garden experts Nth Degree highlight 10 (almost) unkillable balcony plants that’ll transform your outdoor space. 

Rosemary 

Rosemary is a perfect plant for your balcony. It looks great, smells amazing and bees love it. Once you’ve potted it in a sunny location, rosemary needs minimal watering once established, making it a piece of cake to maintain. 

Nasturtiums 

Nasturtiums are colourful flowers that grow well in poor soil and add a bit of brightness to your space. These are a great choice because they self-seed and will return the following year – so even if you manage to kill yours, there’s a good chance they’ll pop right back up come next Spring!

Thyme

Another edible plant that’s a hardy addition to your balcony, thyme smells amazing, is tough as nails and great for accentuating your other plants. Thyme’s really low maintenance too; just pop it in dry soil and give it plenty of sun. 

Sedum (stonecrop) 

Extremely attractive to bees and other pollinators while looking great on your balcony’s borders, sedums are a family of small, colourful succulents. Pop these in the sun and let them grow. They’re drought-tolerant, so they don’t need much watering. 

Ivy

The perfect choice to add a bit of verticality to your balcony, ivy’s sprawling design can add depth and feeling to your outdoor space, climbing the walls to recentre your home in the nature around it. 

You might have to check this is permitted by your building owner, make sure you have solid brick walls that are in good nick and monitor your ivy’s growth to stop it growing out of control. 

Lemon balm 

It looks like mint, but it smells like lemon! Used to attract bees since the 16^th century, lemon balm is resilient, adaptable and is perfect for use in teas, baking and more due to its calming effects. 

Boxwood 

Great for topiaries, boxwood sits perfectly in a planter and thrives in partial shade, making it an ideal addition to a balcony. Use these plants’ unique shape to accentuate your balcony’s doors or other design features. They’re evergreen, drought-tolerant and adaptable – just be sure to avoid over-pruning! 

Miscanthus 

Tall and airy, miscanthus (or ‘elephant grass’) is a reliable ornamental grass that provides fountains of foliage, climbing as high as six feet tall! Miscanthus grows well in containers and is really tough to kill once it has taken root, so it could be a great choice for your balcony! 

Lavender 

Perhaps the ultimate balcony plant? Lavender grows brilliantly in pots or containers, has a beautiful colour, beautiful smell and is a haven for bees and biodiversity. It’s a perfect choice, provided you place it somewhere with full sun coverage and don’t overwater.

Hellebores 

Round off your balcony selection with hellebores for a winter-blooming flower that will come alive while your Spring and Summer bloomers are still slumbering. Hellebores can withstand ice, wind and rain with ease, and do well in shady conditions too, so they’re a brilliant addition to keep your balcony plants in-season all year round.

Laura Cranston at Nth Degree