What are the best plants for your balcony?
The best balcony plants are the ones that suit your balcony, because the same plant thrives on one balcony and dies on the next, depending on which way it faces, how high up, and how windy. Give us your location and those three, and our free tool will show you what plants to grow, where to put them, and what plants to skip.
A shady ground floor and a windy rooftop want completely different things, so we read your balcony, not a map. Free, no sign-up.
Know which way your balcony faces?North-facing balcony plantsSouth-facing balcony plants
First, your light
This balcony gets under 3 hours of direct sun, so it reads as shade to part shade.
Skip the sun-lovers. Leafy greens, mint, ferns and other shade-happy plants are the ones that will actually reward you here.
The best balcony plants, by direction
These are the typical cases by exposure, picked by the same tool for a mild climate. Heat changes the answer, so a plant that thrives here can be a skip in your own result above if your summers run hotter. Yours is read from your exact location, so trust it over these.
South-facing, sunny
about 6 or more hours of direct sun, full sun
In a mild climate: warm summers, light winter frost
Thrives here
- Rosemary. Sun-baked herbs taste best, and this spot delivers.
- Lavender. The full sun here suits it perfectly.
- Thyme. Thrives in this much direct sun.
- Sedum / Stonecrop. The bright light here brings out its best color.
- Blueberry (potted). Laps up the strong sun here, but in a heatwave it wants deep watering and some afternoon shade.
Skip here: Spinach, Arugula / Rocket, Pansy / Viola.
North-facing, shady
under 3 hours of direct sun, shade to part shade
In a mild climate: warm summers, light winter frost
Thrives here
- Hosta. A classic pick for a shady balcony.
- English Ivy. Right at home in the shade here.
- Begonia. Suits the shade here, but grow it as a summer plant, or bring it in over winter.
- Impatiens. Shade keeps its leaves lush and unscorched.
- Fern (Boston / potted). One of the few that enjoys this shady spot.
Skip here: Blueberry (potted), Chili / Pepper, Eggplant / Aubergine.
East or west-facing, part sun
about 4 to 6 hours of direct sun, part-to-full sun
In a mild climate: warm summers, light winter frost
Thrives here
- Lemon balm. Fits the part-sun here.
- Boxwood. Keeps its color best out of the all-day sun.
- Kale. The mix of sun and shade here suits it.
- Radish. A half day of sun is enough for a steady harvest here.
- Parsley. Content with the part-sun this balcony gets.
High floor, windy and exposed
about 6 or more hours of direct sun, full sun
In a mild climate: warm summers, light winter frost
Thrives here
- Thyme. This bright, open spot is exactly its thing.
- Lavender. Puts on its best show in full sun like this.
- Oregano. Full sun here makes its leaves the most aromatic.
- Sedum / Stonecrop. Loves the strong sun here.
- Spring onion / Scallion. More than enough light here for it.
Skip here: Tomato, Cucumber, Zucchini / Courgette.
Low-maintenance picks: if you want to water less, succulents, sedum and aloe go about two weeks between waterings in normal summer weather, and thyme, lavender and olive about 12 days, as long as your balcony gives them the sun they need.
Once you have picked
- Growing into the cold? See what the first frost does to your picks.
- Once it's hot again, here's what protects them.
- Already have plants? Check if they're at risk today.
FAQs
What are the best balcony plants?
The best balcony plants are the ones that suit your balcony, and that mostly comes down to which way it faces. A sunny south-facing balcony suits rosemary, lavender, thyme, olive and succulents; a shady north-facing one suits hosta, ivy, begonias, ferns and fuchsias. Floor height matters too: higher up, the wind rules out tall plants like tomatoes. This free tool picks them for your exact balcony.
What are the best low-maintenance balcony plants?
The ones that need watering least, on a balcony that suits them. On a sunny balcony, succulents, sedum and aloe go about two weeks between waterings in normal summer weather, and thyme, lavender and olive about 12 days. On a shadier balcony, ivy and boxwood are the easy ones, at around 8 days. No plant is low-maintenance on the wrong balcony, so match it to your direction first.
What can I grow on my balcony?
Whatever suits your light. Tell the tool which way your balcony faces, which floor you're on and how windy it gets, and it lists what thrives there, where to put each one, and the tempting plants to skip. As a rough guide, south-facing suits sun-loving herbs and flowers, north-facing suits shade plants, and east or west suits a mix.
What are the best vegetables to grow on a balcony?
On a sunny balcony: chili, eggplant, Swiss chard, spring onions and, on a lower floor, tomatoes. On a shadier one: chard, kale, spring onions and leafy herbs, which still pick well in lower light. Higher up, skip tall crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini unless they're sheltered, because the wind knocks them flat.
Can you grow tomatoes on a balcony?
Yes, if it's a sunny one. Tomatoes need 6 or more hours of direct sun, so a south, south-east or south-west balcony on a lower floor is ideal. On a north-facing balcony they grow tall and pale with few fruit, and from about the 4th floor up the wind shreds tall plants unless they're sheltered.
What plants are best for a small balcony?
Compact plants in pots that suit your light. On a sunny balcony, thyme, rosemary, oregano and succulents give a lot from a small pot; on a shady one, hosta, ivy and begonias fill space without needing sun. Use the wall and the railing as well as the floor: shade lovers against the wall, sun lovers by the railing.
Is there a free tool to check my balcony's sun exposure?
Yes. This free tool turns your balcony's direction, floor height and wind into a plant list matched to that exact spot, with no sign-up and no hardiness-zone lookup. It reads roughly how many hours of direct sun you get and whether that makes you full, part or shade, then tells you what actually grows there.
Does my floor height change what I can grow?
It does, and most plant lists ignore it. Higher up means more wind and faster-drying pots; a 6th-floor railing is a harsher spot than a ground-floor corner even on the same street. That's why we ask for your floor, not just your city.
Which plants should I skip on a windy balcony?
Tall, top-heavy or big-leaved plants (staked tomatoes, large-leaf tropicals, delicate seedlings) get battered and dry out on an exposed high balcony. The tool flags these as "skip here" and suggests low, sturdy plants instead.
Do I need to know my hardiness zone to pick balcony plants?
No. Hardiness zones assume plants in the ground, and a pot on a balcony behaves nothing like garden soil. What actually decides survival is your balcony's sun, wind and how fast the pots heat and dry, which is what this tool reads.
What can I grow on an east or west-facing balcony?
A good mix, because you get a half-day of direct sun. East-facing gets gentle morning sun that is kind to leaves, so lettuce, herbs and most flowers are happy. West-facing gets stronger afternoon sun and more heat, so it suits Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage) and can ripen peppers or a compact tomato on the brightest edge. The real difference is heat, not just hours: west bakes in the afternoon, east stays cooler.