5 Best Pots for Indoor Succulents (Buyer’s Guide)

You should consider keeping indoor succulents if you want indoor greenery but haven’t had much luck with houseplants. They are easygoing plants that thrive indoors with minimal effort.

Succulents are excellent indoor plants because they can withstand dry environments due to their water-storing abilities and can withstand dry air without adverse consequences, especially in the winter. Taking care of indoor potted succulents begins with selecting the right pot. Aside from selecting pots made of the appropriate material, you need also to consider size, drainage, and other challenges to avoid.

Let’s go over all you need to know about selecting the best pots for indoor succulents.

Factors For Choosing The Best Pots For Indoor Succulents

Succulent gardens are a lovely way to add color and vitality to your home or indoor living area. A stunning succulent garden necessitates an ideal indoor succulent pot. To choose the best pots for indoor succulents, you’ll first need to familiarize yourself with certain factors that play a role in determining which pot would be the best fit for your indoor succulents.

Let’s review the factors for choosing the best pots for indoor succulents.

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1. Drainage

Succulent containers with no drainage are doomed from the start. Whether you’re new to succulent gardening or not, you’ve probably heard of drainage holes. Why are drainage holes necessary? Because they let the excess water drain from the container, preventing moisture from accumulating at the pot’s base.

This is important for indoor succulents since their tissues, leaves, and stems contain water. Their roots are susceptible to rot if submerged in water for an extended period of time.

If you’ve opted to put the succulents in a container without holes, you might wonder how long they’ll last. While succulents may live and even thrive in pots without holes, it all comes down to how the plants are cared for. Watering is the most common issue that people have, this is because they tend to overwater their succulents, which may be harmful to them.

You may create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot by adding a layer of rocks, pebbles, stones, pumice, or a mix of these. This allows excess water to flow out of the soil and into the rocks at the bottom, which can help avoid root rot.

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Best Drainage Pots for Succulents

2. Material

The most important factor after drainage is the material of your indoor succulent pot. Succulent pots may be manufactured from various materials, including plastic, wood, metal, stone, and biodegradable materials if you are concerned about the environment.

Before making a purchase, consider which one will best fit your house. Look for a hanging pot to offer a warm, welcoming gesture to your front porch. It would be best to consider whether you’ll keep your succulent pot indoors or outdoors since the material you choose will be determined by its ability to withstand the weather.

Terracotta

Terracotta pots are the perfect planters for succulents that prefer to dry out between waterings. Terracotta is a porous material that allows a lot of airflow and helps the soil breathe. More crucially, terracotta pots prevent root rot by sucking excess water and moisture from the soil, preventing your plant roots from becoming soggy and rotting.

The only disadvantage of terracotta pots is their weight and fragility. When transferring them, take special precautions. They might deteriorate faster if kept outside owing to changing temperatures and excessive precipitation. However, if you use them indoors, they will last a long time.

Ceramic

Like terracotta, ceramic pots are unquestionably the greatest choice for indoor succulent pots. This is because the clay may absorb part of the surplus moisture, providing your plant an extra buffer between wet and dry phases.

However, be cautious in the winter since wet ceramic pots might take longer to dry out in freezing temperatures. This might lead to overwatering issues. Various charming little ceramic pots are available for indoor succulents to place on your window sills or tables.

Plastic

Another common material for indoor succulent pots is plastic. Plastic has a significant benefit over ceramic because it is less delicate and generally much lighter. The disadvantage is that it is less porous than terra cotta or other pottery. Water evaporates significantly more slowly in plastic pots than in other materials.

This lack of breathability should not be an issue if you choose well-draining soil and have a drainage hole in your container. Plastic planters come in a wide range of colors and forms, making them a lot of fun to buy. However, it is not suggested to use plastic pots outside owing to their increased risk of tipping over due to their lightweight.

Plastic pots tend to heat up and dry out when exposed to high temperatures faster than clay or concrete pots. Lastly, plastic pots can freeze and ruin your succulents in extremely cold weather.

Metal

Metal pots and containers frequently suffer from the same heat problem as plastic pots. As a result, you should only store a metal pot indoors. If you wish to take your succulents outside, a terracotta or ceramic planter is a wonderful option.

Metal is not only unbreathable, but most metal pots lack drainage and can create a damp atmosphere, which is the polar opposite of the arid climate you desire for your plant. They can overheat and harm your succulents.

Glass

There’s no denying that glass is a lovely medium for growing succulents. However, most glass containers lack drainage holes and can’t keep out the cold or heat; therefore, the additional light that can pass through is unnecessary.

Aside from the drainage issue, glass is not very breathable, which means your soil will have difficulty drying up unless your container has a large aperture and enough ventilation. Glass is also prone to getting dirty and accumulating hard water deposits. And, of course, it’s pretty fragile, so be cautious where you place your arrangements.

Wood

Wood is a great alternative if you’re searching for a unique way to grow your succulents. It’s far more appealing than your average container or planter. Furthermore, wood is beneficial to succulents that grow in direct sunlight or hot conditions because it keeps cool and holds water well.

On the other side, if you’re planting in a location with less sunshine and ventilation, wood may decay or keep your soil damp for an extended time.

The wood may also deteriorate over time or crack due to being soaked. For these reasons, wood may not endure as long as other potting materials. However, if placed correctly, wood can be a lovely option!

Fiberglass

Fiberglass planters are constructed from woven glass fibers and resin. These containers are available in a variety of forms and sizes. These planters are frequently designed to seem like stone pots, clay pots, or even wooden planters. These materials are frequently molded into unique and one-of-a-kind novelty planters.

Fiberglass containers are impervious to water and do not readily enable water to enter through their walls. These planters are lightweight and sturdy and can survive more severe weather conditions when used outside.

Fiberglass and resin containers may not always have a drainage hole, which is inconvenient for succulents and cacti that demand dry atmospheres. Drilling drainage holes in the containers is, however, a possibility.

Concrete

Concrete pots are made of porous material. Concrete pots are ideal for outdoor use since they are robust and protective of succulents. Just bear in mind that actual concrete pots may be rather weighty.

This is beneficial for locations prone to high winds, especially in hurricane or tornado-prone areas, because your concrete planters protect your plants when the weather turns bad!

Stone

Some stone containers are made of actual stones, while others are made of a combination of limestone and fiberglass. It is frequently difficult to determine if a container is composed of natural stones or other materials. Natural stones are often significantly more costly and heavier.

Stone containers are available in a range of interesting styles. The hue of stone varies with age and time, so don’t worry about your succulent’s health being affected by these changes.

3. Size (Width & Depth)

The most overlooked difficulty with succulent plants is the pot size. Because your succulent will not survive if the pot is too large, this is more of a water issue than a size one. If you have a huge pot, you will have a lot of damp dirt. Water will be present in this soil where smaller plant roots cannot reach.

This is why many succulent planters have shallow pots that can accommodate a few succulents while being shallow enough for the smaller roots to reach the bottom of the container. A solid rule of thumb is that your succulent will prefer a smaller pot to a larger one. This is great news if you want to put a succulent in a nice small container.

If you buy a two-inch succulent, a 2.5-inch container is usually a suitable choice if you want to plant it alone. Whereas if you’re using a lot of succulents in your arrangement, be sure to allow space around each so they may spread out.

Give your succulents some “breathing room” to allow for new development if you want them to grow larger and spread. Typically, a thickness of 1/2′′ to 1′′ is optimal.

4. Type

While the material of the pot for your indoor succulent is essential, so is the type of pot you use. We’ll be looking at three main types of indoor succulent pots today, so let’s get into them!

Normal

A normal pot for your indoor succulent will resemble the numerous plant pots you have seen. They’re in a cup-like shape, wider at the top and smaller at the bottom. There are also normal pots of the same width all around, and both are an ideal choice for an indoor succulent pot. Most of these pots come with holes at the bottom from drainage.

These pots usually come with a drip saucer that you place under them which collects excess water and moisture to help avoid making a mess, especially with indoor succulents. They have a basic design but come in many materials, shapes, colors, and sizes for you to choose from!

Hanging

Hanging pots are eye-catching and are typically used as décor. They look great with trailing or hanging plants but may also be used with other plants like indoor succulents. Hanging baskets are made from various materials, including resin, plastic, coconut fibers, wrought iron, coated wire, and metal.

They are also available at various prices, ranging from low-cost to high-end designs. These containers are better suited for smaller arrangements that don’t get too heavy.

Self-watering

Self-watering pots are containers with an outer pot or bottom reservoir that retains additional water. Water is drawn from the reservoir into the root ball of the plants as needed. These containers are frequently constructed of plastic. The majority of self-watering containers can retain water for many days or longer.

These containers are ideal for plants that require constant moisture and for plants that require regular watering. They are also useful for folks who frequently forget to water their plants. They are not recommended for succulents that demand dry media. Succulents can become prone to root rot if the soil is too damp.

5. Color

While the color of the succulent pot is simply ornamental, it is still a good idea to consider how the pot will appear in relation to the other elements of your living area.

It would help if you ideally chose a pot that compliments the emphasized colors in your space, such as the curtains or carpets. Considering how the pot design or color speaks to your personality would be best.

Our Top Picks

Here are our top picks for the best pots for an indoor succulent that can easily be found on Amazon!

FAQs

Do succulents do better in clay or plastic pots?

Terracotta is a permeable material that works well for indoor and outdoor succulent containers. Another advantage of terracotta is that it easily absorbs heat, providing the plant with perfect growth circumstances.

Because plastic is neither an absorbent nor permeable material, the soil will dry up more slowly than in clay pots, making it the less ideal choice, but it’s not impossible to plant a succulent in a plastic pot. You must ensure your plastic containers have adequate drainage, or your succulent roots may rot due to excess moisture.

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How often do you water succulents indoors?

In general, water your succulents when the soil becomes dry before it begins to peel away from the sides of the pot. This is normally done every five to seven days, depending on the quantity of sunshine, temperature, and season.