6 Types of Planters for Your Houseplants

Help your plants thrive by placing them in the correct planter. Here's our guide to the type of planters that you can purchase for your plant needs.

Choosing the Best Type of Planter for Your Plants

Placing a ponytail palm in an underused corner of your living room or adding a structural snake plant to your shelf can transform any interior space from so-so to a vibrant home oasis.

Other than their pleasing aesthetic, houseplants provide many wellness advantages, from purifying the air to boosting moods.¹ Giving them the right planting container to grow and thrive ensures that you’ll enjoy their beauty and benefits for years to come.

If you’re wondering whether to plant your prized pilea in a wood planter or terracotta pot, consider some of the most popular types of planters and their benefits for verdant, thriving indoor gardens.

#1 Plastic Pots

Easy on the eyes and the wallet, plastic pots have come a long way beyond basic black nursery pots. You’ll find them in every color of the rainbow and in a range of shapes and styles to perfectly accent your favorite indoor plant. They’re lightweight and sturdy, making them easy to move around and less likely to crack or break from runaway roots.

Best Houseplants for Plastic Pots

Moisture-loving plants do best in plastic pots, which retain moisture better than their more porous plant pot counterparts. As long as you’re using the right potting soil and have proper drainage, most houseplants will grow well in a plastic pot. And if you’re growing in a basic plastic pot, they’re easy to slip into other types of planters like a seagrass basket or wine barrel tub as well.

#2 Terracotta Pots

As far as types of planters go, it’s hard to beat the aesthetic of terracotta. With classic, earthy good looks and warm Mediterranean vibes, terracotta pots bring natural beauty to your space. They’re available in sizes ranging from ultra-tiny to large enough for a ceiling-height tree. Plus, they’re affordable and easy to find at any garden center making them the perfect gifts for plant lovers.

Best Houseplants for Terracotta Pots

The porous, unglazed clay of terracotta planters helps moisture to escape from the potting soil, making them ideal for indoor plants that prefer to dry out well between waterings, such as:

Cacti
Succulents
Snake plants
Aloe vera

#3 Ceramic Pots

Like terracotta, ceramic pots are heavy and sturdy. Unlike terracotta pots, however, they’re typically glazed either inside, outside, or both, allowing them to retain more moisture. Because they have decorative design details, they’re usually a bit more expensive than plastic or plain terracotta pots, but well worth the higher price for a pot that will integrate and elevate your decor.

Best Houseplants for Ceramic Pots

Moisture-loving houseplants will be happy living in beautiful ceramic planters, and top-heavy plants like jade or fiddle-leaf figs especially benefit from the heavier weight of a ceramic pot to keep them balanced. Tropical plants that prefer evenly moist soil, like pothos or ponytail palms, will thrive in a stylish ceramic planter.

#4 Hanging Baskets

Whether they’re wicker, metal, or macrame, hanging baskets add stunning visual interest to interiors. Not only are they easy on the eyes, they utilize underused space and elevate plants away from curious pets and little hands. Drainage is a little trickier when it comes to hanging planters, so look for types that are lined or accommodate a removable plant pot.

Best Houseplants for Hanging Planters

Dangling, climbing, vining florals, and greenery are perfect for hanging baskets. Since hanging planters can come in a variety of materials, as long as the light, water, and humidity conditions are right, most plants will thrive.

Try some of these lush stunners suspended from your ceiling for a foliage focal point:

Boston fern
Philodendron
Pothos
Spider plant
Tradescantia

#5 Orchid Pots

The beautiful and exotic orchid plant requires loose, drainable (but moist) soil, usually made from bark, moss, and other natural substances. Orchid pots, unlike other houseplant containers, have holes, slits, or decorative openings in the sides in addition to bottom drainage to maximize airflow to the plant’s roots, giving them a unique and lovely appearance.

Best Houseplants for Orchid Pots

Orchids, obviously, thrive in these specialty containers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize it for other plants as well. Depending on the size of the aeration holes, you could try using them for any plant that likes airflow to the roots, or add another interior layer or nursery pot to keep other plant varieties secure inside.

#6 Indoor Garden System

Self-watering gardens give you all the greenery of houseplants with minimal maintenance—you don’t even need soil. You can expand the range of plants you grow indoors and enjoy fast, fresh food and flowers in a compact planting container.

Best Houseplants for Indoor Gardens

While tomatoes are tough to grow on a windowsill in January, an indoor hydroponic garden provides incredible flexibility with what you can grow year-round. Vegetables like lettuce, herbs, and flowers that are sometimes difficult to grow in traditional indoor planters thrive in an all-in-one hydroponic system that gives them the perfect amount of water and light.

Pamper Your Plants With AeroGarden

Whether you’re brightening up your life with tropical growing plants or dining on the bounty of your indoor veggie patch, AeroGarden has everything you need for the lush, green home garden of your dreams.

Our gardens and grow lights make tending to your indoor plants easy and fun, so you can spend less time worrying about over watering or under-lighting and more time enjoying their verdant beauty.

Sources:

¹RHS. Houseplants: to support human health. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/types/houseplants/for-human-health

Gardener’s Path. Plant Containers, Pots, and Planters – What Material Is The Best? https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/containers/plant-containers-pots-planters-material-best/

HGTV. Are You Using the Right Pots for Your Houseplants? https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/houseplants/are-you-using-the-right-pots-for-your-houseplants

SF Gate. Do Houseplants Live Longer in Plastic or Ceramic Pots? https://homeguides.sfgate.com/houseplants-live-longer-plastic-ceramic-pots-105049.html