Field Notes · Nº 10

Modern Planters for Pothos

Pothos is the plant that makes anyone feel green-thumbed: fast, forgiving, and happy almost anywhere. That ease means the pot gets to be about looks as much as function, but a couple of basics still keep it thriving. Here is what to look for.

Size: start snug

Pothos grows quickly, which tempts people into a big pot to get ahead of it. Resist. A pot only an inch or two wider than the root ball is ideal, and you size up gradually as the roots fill in. Too much soil around a small root system stays wet longer than the plant would like. A small suits a young cutting, while an established, trailing pothos settles nicely into a medium.

Drainage: the one rule that matters

For all its toughness, pothos still rots if it sits in waterlogged soil. Give it a pot that can drain, pair it with the matching saucer to catch the runoff, and let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. Many of our designs include a drainage hole, and you can request one in the checkout notes if a piece does not have it. Our plant care guide has more on reading when a plant is thirsty.

Style: let the vine lead

Pothos is grown for its trailing vines, so place it where they can fall. Up high on a shelf, on a mantel, or on a ledge, the foliage spills down and softens the hard lines of a room. A pot with a clean, sculptural shape holds its own under all that greenery, and because every piece is made to order in nine matte colors, you can echo the variegation in the leaves or set a contrast against them. For more arrangement ideas, see styling planters on a shelf.

Browse the planters, sized small to large and made to order in our Seattle-area studio.

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