Potted Trees

Container-Grown Trees: Plant Now, Enjoy Sooner

Bareroot trees are wonderful, but they keep strict hours: November to March, and not a day later. Container-grown trees don't bother with the timetable. Their roots stay tucked up in compost from our nursery to your garden, so there's very little disturbance at planting time, and you can get a tree in the ground in spring, summer or autumn. Ours come in 7 litre and 12 litre pots, a good size for getting going quickly.

Potted Fruit Trees for Patios and Sunny Spots

Figs. If ever a tree was made for a pot, it's the fig. Keeping its roots a little confined encourages fruit rather than leaves, which makes a container on a sunny patio the ideal home. 'Brown Turkey' is the reliable British favourite, hardy and generous with its sweet, purple-brown fruit. For smaller spaces, 'Little Miss Figgy'® is a compact, dwarf fig that sits perfectly on a balcony or doorstep.

Peach 'Red Haven'. A classic, self-fertile peach with juicy, blushing fruit, grown as a compact bush on St Julien A rootstock. Give it your sunniest, most sheltered spot, against a south-facing wall or in a large pot, and cover it with a little shelter in late winter to keep peach leaf curl at bay.

Aprimira® Miracot. Something a little different for the adventurous fruit grower, on a compact Wavit® rootstock that keeps it neat enough for smaller gardens and large containers.

Old Greengage. The gage of legend: small, green-gold fruit with a honeyed sweetness that shop-bought plums can only dream about. Ours is a half-standard on St Julien A, so it's happiest planted in the ground, where it will make a charming small orchard tree. Browse more in our plum, gage and damson trees.

Mulberries. Few trees have quite so much character. 'Chelsea' (also known as 'King James') is a black mulberry said to descend from the trees planted in the reign of James I, with rich, dark, gloriously messy fruit – plant it well away from the washing line. 'Carman' is quicker off the mark, fruiting young and staying relatively compact. Both are supplied as half-standards and make wonderful lawn or courtyard trees. You'll find more unusual fruit in our exotic, wild, rare and nut trees.

Specimen and Ornamental Trees

Himalayan Birch 'Trinity College'. Betula utilis var. jacquemontii is prized for its dazzling white bark, which glows through the winter like nothing else in the garden. A superb choice for a focal point, especially planted where low sun catches the trunk. See the rest of our birch trees.

Golden Elm 'Wredei'. Ulmus x hollandica 'Wredei' is a real curiosity: an upright, narrow elm with crinkled, butter-yellow leaves that brighten the gloomiest corner. Its slim shape makes it a good fit for smaller gardens.

Elm 'Wingham'. A disease-resistant elm that brings this much-missed native back into the landscape, and a welcome home for the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, which depends on elms. Explore our full range of elm trees.

Common Walnut. Juglans regia is a tree for posterity: stately, aromatic and, in time, generous with its nuts. It will grow into a large tree, so give it plenty of room and plant it in the ground. Your grandchildren will be grateful.

How to Look After a Container-Grown Tree

Planting in the ground? Dig a hole a little wider than the pot and no deeper, tease out any circling roots, water well and keep it watered through its first summer. Our guides to planting a tree and planting a fruit tree take you through it step by step.

Keeping a fig, peach or Aprimira in a pot? Choose a generous container with drainage holes and fill it with a loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3. Potted trees rely entirely on you, so water regularly (daily in hot spells), feed through the growing season and refresh the top few centimetres of compost each spring. Move to a slightly larger pot every few years and your tree will reward you handsomely.

Why Buy Your Trees from Ashridge?

We've been sending plants through the post since 1949, so we like to think we've got the hang of it. Every tree is hand-picked, carefully packed and sent by courier across mainland UK. We were named a Which? Best Plant Supplier in 2025, and our customers keep giving us five stars on Feefo, which is lovely of them. And if you have a question before or after you buy, our friendly team is only an email or phone call away.

Potted Trees: Frequently Asked Questions