Best Garden Centres In The South West For Tropical Plants
Friday, 28th March 2025
If you're looking to create your own tropical paradise in the South West of England, you're in luck. Thanks to the region's mild coastal climate, many garden centres specialise in exotic and unusual plants. Whether you're after hardy succulents, towering palms, or rare collectors' plants, these are some of the best garden centres to find a rich selection and friendly advice to help you build your own slice of paradise.
Hardy Exotics
Gilly Lane, Whitecross, Penzance, TR20 8BZ
Hardy Exotics is more than just a garden centre - it's an experience. Specialising entirely in exotic and tropical-looking plants, this unique nursery caters to Cornwall's famously mild microclimate. The entire space is outdoors, with jungle-like paths winding through mature displays and polytunnels packed with rare and unusual finds. There's no furniture showroom or cafe here - just an incredible collection of plants and friendly, knowledgeable staff who are always happy to offer advice. If you're serious about creating a tropical garden, Hardy Exotics is an essential visit.
Surreal Succulents
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Longrock, Penzance, TR20 8YL
Surreal Succulents is an award-winning specialist nursery offering rare and unusual succulents. While primarily an online business, they maintain a small seasonal outlet at the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, housed partly within the charming "Curious Cabin," complete with a bespoke succulent green roof. The surrounding 22-acre gardens, filled with sculptures and exotic planting, make this an inspiring place to browse. If you're interested in unique, architectural plants, Surreal Succulents is a hidden gem well worth seeking out.
Desert to Jungle
Henlade Garden Nursery, Taunton, TA3 5NB
Desert to Jungle offers a fantastic selection of rare and exotic plants, from hardy palms to agaves and lush tropical foliage. Just five minutes from Junction 25 of the M5, it's easy to reach yet feels wonderfully secluded. The nursery is built around a Victorian walled garden, which is gradually being planted as a jungle, making it a destination in its own right. Like Hardy Exotics, a visit here is about more than buying plants - it's an inspiring experience where friendly, knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help.
St Austell Garden Centre
Boscundle Close, Saint Austell, PL25 3RJ
While not dedicated exclusively to tropical plants, St Austell Garden Centre benefits from Cornwall's climate and often stocks a good selection of exotic-looking plants, including aeoniums, tree ferns, and palms. Centrally located and easily accessible for holidaymakers travelling through mid-Cornwall, it's a convenient stop just off the A390. The centre also features a cosy tearoom offering cakes and tray bakes, with indoor and outdoor seating areas for a relaxed break during your plant hunt.
Trevisker Garden Centre
Trevisker Farm, Padstow, PL28 8LD
Trevisker Garden Centre is a small but beautifully curated, privately owned nursery on the approach to Padstow. Specialising in coastal and drought-tolerant plants, you'll find a lovely range of echiums, eryngiums, palms, and more. The centre also prides itself on its eco credentials, offering refillable fertilisers and reusable compost bags. With a dog-friendly cafe and a well-stocked pet shop focusing on greener alternatives, Trevisker offers a modern, welcoming space for plant lovers and their four-legged friends.
Millbrook Garden Centre
Old Raglan Road, Monmouth, NP25 4BD
Technically just across the border in South Wales, Millbrook Garden Centre is still an excellent stop if you're in the South West. This family-run centre has a reputation for its collection of rare, tropical, and tropical-looking plants. Highlights include specially selected palms, a polytunnel full of agaves, cacti, and succulents, and a wide range of bold, big-leaved specimens perfect for exotic planting schemes. If you're willing to venture slightly further afield, Millbrook is a real treat for plant hunters.
West Somerset Garden Centre
Mart Road, Minehead, TA24 5BJ
Serving the coastal town of Minehead, West Somerset Garden Centre offers a good selection of traditional garden plants alongside some surprising exotic finds, including palms like Trachycarpus fortunei and Phoenix canariensis. Thanks to the area's sheltered coastal microclimate, tropical-looking plants thrive here, and echiums are a common sight in local gardens and parks. The centre also has a good but modest-sized cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, although it is not dog-friendly due to the resident cat.
Almondsbury Garden Centre
51–53 Over Lane, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4BP
Conveniently located near the M4/M5 interchange, Almondsbury Garden Centre is a large, well-stocked centre with a dedicated tropical section. Here you'll find a wide variety of palms, tree ferns, and exotic plants, often including rarer specimens like different types of echium and banana plants if you visit at the right time. The centre also boasts a large indoor restaurant with outdoor seating, all of which is dog-friendly, making it a perfect stop for gardeners (and their pets) travelling through the region.
Hardy Exotics
Gilly Lane, Whitecross, Penzance, TR20 8BZ
Hardy Exotics is more than just a garden centre - it's an experience. Specialising entirely in exotic and tropical-looking plants, this unique nursery caters to Cornwall's famously mild microclimate. The entire space is outdoors, with jungle-like paths winding through mature displays and polytunnels packed with rare and unusual finds. There's no furniture showroom or cafe here - just an incredible collection of plants and friendly, knowledgeable staff who are always happy to offer advice. If you're serious about creating a tropical garden, Hardy Exotics is an essential visit.
Surreal Succulents
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Longrock, Penzance, TR20 8YL
Surreal Succulents is an award-winning specialist nursery offering rare and unusual succulents. While primarily an online business, they maintain a small seasonal outlet at the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, housed partly within the charming "Curious Cabin," complete with a bespoke succulent green roof. The surrounding 22-acre gardens, filled with sculptures and exotic planting, make this an inspiring place to browse. If you're interested in unique, architectural plants, Surreal Succulents is a hidden gem well worth seeking out.
Desert to Jungle
Henlade Garden Nursery, Taunton, TA3 5NB
Desert to Jungle offers a fantastic selection of rare and exotic plants, from hardy palms to agaves and lush tropical foliage. Just five minutes from Junction 25 of the M5, it's easy to reach yet feels wonderfully secluded. The nursery is built around a Victorian walled garden, which is gradually being planted as a jungle, making it a destination in its own right. Like Hardy Exotics, a visit here is about more than buying plants - it's an inspiring experience where friendly, knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help.
St Austell Garden Centre
Boscundle Close, Saint Austell, PL25 3RJ
While not dedicated exclusively to tropical plants, St Austell Garden Centre benefits from Cornwall's climate and often stocks a good selection of exotic-looking plants, including aeoniums, tree ferns, and palms. Centrally located and easily accessible for holidaymakers travelling through mid-Cornwall, it's a convenient stop just off the A390. The centre also features a cosy tearoom offering cakes and tray bakes, with indoor and outdoor seating areas for a relaxed break during your plant hunt.
Trevisker Garden Centre
Trevisker Farm, Padstow, PL28 8LD
Trevisker Garden Centre is a small but beautifully curated, privately owned nursery on the approach to Padstow. Specialising in coastal and drought-tolerant plants, you'll find a lovely range of echiums, eryngiums, palms, and more. The centre also prides itself on its eco credentials, offering refillable fertilisers and reusable compost bags. With a dog-friendly cafe and a well-stocked pet shop focusing on greener alternatives, Trevisker offers a modern, welcoming space for plant lovers and their four-legged friends.
Millbrook Garden Centre
Old Raglan Road, Monmouth, NP25 4BD
Technically just across the border in South Wales, Millbrook Garden Centre is still an excellent stop if you're in the South West. This family-run centre has a reputation for its collection of rare, tropical, and tropical-looking plants. Highlights include specially selected palms, a polytunnel full of agaves, cacti, and succulents, and a wide range of bold, big-leaved specimens perfect for exotic planting schemes. If you're willing to venture slightly further afield, Millbrook is a real treat for plant hunters.
West Somerset Garden Centre
Mart Road, Minehead, TA24 5BJ
Serving the coastal town of Minehead, West Somerset Garden Centre offers a good selection of traditional garden plants alongside some surprising exotic finds, including palms like Trachycarpus fortunei and Phoenix canariensis. Thanks to the area's sheltered coastal microclimate, tropical-looking plants thrive here, and echiums are a common sight in local gardens and parks. The centre also has a good but modest-sized cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, although it is not dog-friendly due to the resident cat.
Almondsbury Garden Centre
51–53 Over Lane, Almondsbury, Bristol, BS32 4BP
Conveniently located near the M4/M5 interchange, Almondsbury Garden Centre is a large, well-stocked centre with a dedicated tropical section. Here you'll find a wide variety of palms, tree ferns, and exotic plants, often including rarer specimens like different types of echium and banana plants if you visit at the right time. The centre also boasts a large indoor restaurant with outdoor seating, all of which is dog-friendly, making it a perfect stop for gardeners (and their pets) travelling through the region.