Indoor Pots

The best pots for indoor plants provide enough space for healthy root growth while complementing the plant and your interior. Ceramic plant pots are a popular choice for houseplants thanks to their weight, durability and wide range of decorative finishes, while lightweight recycled plastic pots are practical and easy to move.

When choosing an indoor plant pot, consider the size of the plant, how it will be watered and whether the decorative pot has drainage holes. Many indoor planters are designed as decorative cover pots, allowing you to keep the houseplant in its original plastic nursery pot and place it inside.

Choose an indoor plant pot that's comfortably large enough to accommodate your houseplant and its existing nursery pot. If you're using a decorative cover pot, check its internal diameter rather than relying only on its external dimensions.

For example, a houseplant growing in a 15cm nursery pot will need a decorative planter with an internal diameter slightly larger than 15cm. Avoid choosing a pot that's too tight, particularly if you want to remove the plant for watering.

For larger floor-standing houseplants, look for large indoor plant pots that provide enough width, depth and stability for the plant.

Not necessarily. Many indoor plant pots are decorative cover pots without drainage holes. The houseplant remains in its plastic nursery pot, which has drainage holes, and the whole nursery pot sits inside the decorative planter.

When watering, remove the plant from its decorative pot where practical, water it thoroughly and allow excess water to drain before putting it back. This helps prevent water collecting at the bottom of the planter.

It depends on the pot. Many decorative indoor plant pots are designed as cover pots rather than containers for planting directly into. In this case, it's usually better to leave your houseplant in its plastic nursery pot and place that inside the decorative planter.

This makes watering easier because you can remove the plant, allow excess water to drain away and then return it to its decorative pot. It also makes changing pots or moving plants around your home much simpler.

Always check whether your chosen houseplant pot has drainage holes and whether it is intended for direct planting before repotting.

Start with size. Your indoor pot needs to comfortably accommodate your houseplant's nursery pot or root system. Then consider material, weight, drainage and where the plant will be displayed.

Small ceramic pots are ideal for shelves, desks and windowsills, while large indoor plant pots can turn bigger houseplants into statement features in living rooms, hallways and conservatories. Lightweight recycled plastic planters can be useful where plants need to be moved regularly.

Finally, consider colour and style. A decorative houseplant pot can either complement the foliage with natural, neutral tones or create contrast with colourful glazed finishes and patterned designs.

The simplest way to prevent indoor plant pots from leaking onto furniture or floors is to use a watertight decorative cover pot with the plant kept inside its original nursery pot.

Remove the nursery pot when watering, allow excess water to drain completely and then place it back inside the decorative planter. This reduces the risk of water collecting inside the cover pot or spilling onto shelves, windowsills and furniture.

Where appropriate, a plant saucer can provide additional protection for surfaces beneath pots with drainage holes.