There’s hundreds, or thousands of pots on the internet. To save you the time and trouble of looking through them we’ve collated a list of our top 5 picks for the best pot for calathea plants.
I’ve chosen this repotting kit from Bloomscape as my best overall pick. It’s got everything you need to keep your calathea happy for a long time; it comes with 3 pots and a bag of bloomscape’s premium potting soil. The pots are suitable for any decor scheme and have great drainage PLUS a saucer so you don’t have to worry about water dripping onto your surfaces! I think the subtle gray color will allow the gorgeous calathea leaves to be the star of the show.
But if you don’t fancy that option there’s a best pick for self-watering (for the forgetful bunch), ceramic and terracotta options plus some especially gorgeous designs!
Meet the Candidates:
- Best Overall: Repotting Kit
- Best Self-Watering: Decorative Self-Watering
- Best Ceramic: Sleek Ceramic Pot
- Best Terracotta: Staple Pot
- Best Decorative Basket: Decorative Basket
Keep reading for the ins and outs of each pots including their top features, size recommendations, tips and more!
Product Reviews
Best Overall: Repotting Kit
Calathea plants don’t like to be rootbound and grow a lot happier with ample room. Due to this I think this repotting kit from bloomscape is the perfect option. The set comes with 3 pots and a bag of premium potting soil so you can repot your calathea whenever you need to. The three pots are 6 inch round eco pots This kit is also available as a kit with larger pots or a kit with just one pot to suit your needs! These pots would be perfect for any smaller types of calathea, such as calathea triostar or baby calathea orbifolia.
Bloomscape is committed to maintaining a high standard of quality with their products. You can feel confident that they’ll look new for ages. Extra bonus point for bloomscape, these pots are made of 80% recycled ocean plastic which is waterproof, UV proof (so it won’t fade in the sun) and also frost resistant! Ecopots is a sustainable company that is certified carbon neutral. They’re suitable for indoors and out, which is great if you like to pop your calathea outdoors in the summer.
Key Features:
- Material: Recycled plastic harvested from oceans
- Price: $75
- Dimensions: 3 x 6 inch pots and an 8 quart bag of potting soil
- Drainage: Yes and it has a removable saucer
Who Is It For?
I’ve picked this particular product for my best overall choice because of its versatility. I think this kit has everything. The drainage and saucer makes it ideal for indoors but you can use these pots outdoors too. Plus it’s a sustainable product so it should be a great fit for those who are environmentally conscious. The sleek, minimalist design has a clean look that will work well with anyone’s color scheme and will never go out of style!
Best Self Watering: Ideallife’s Plant Pot
Let’s face it, we’ve all let a plant go so long without water it’s died. Well, there’s an elegant yet simple solution: self-watering pots. This discovery actually blew my mind. I have hundreds of plants so investing in some self-watering pots is an easy way to make watering-day much less cumbersome. These pots are a cute and practical option to keep your plants looking well-looked after, even if you’re forgetful. These pots use a saucer, water reservoir and an absorbent cotton rope to keep the plant hydrated consistently, which is great for calathea which don’t like to dry out between waterings. The pot has 178 drainage holes which ensures the roots get ample air circulation and breathability whilst also allowing excess water to easily drain away. Therefore preventing root rot.
The pot is made with a removable base which can lock into place, eliminating the chances of the water reservoir being knocked over and spilt. The base also has a lip which you can pour water through easily to refill the reservoir without needing to disassemble the pot.
This set comes with 5 pots and 3 tools for repotting your calatheas.
Key Features:
- Material: Plastic pot with cotton rope
- Price: $14.99 for 5 pots ($3/ pot)
- Dimensions: The 5 pots are all different sizes: 5, 5,5, 6, 6,5 and 7 inch pots
- Drainage: Yes
Who Is It For?
Self-watering pots are for anyone who chronically underwater their plants, for those who travel a lot or for office plants. If you struggle to regularly water or have a lot of plants, these pots are a must-have.
Best Ceramic Pot: Pageqiu White Ceramic Pot
This is a nice, sturdy ceramic pot with drainage and saucer which is the perfect combination for a mess-free watering day. The mesh screen is great when you’re repotting to prevent all of the soil falling out. The pot is glazed on the outside and unfinished on the inside. This is perfect for water absorption, to give a durability to the product. Ceramic pots are great because they’re heavy which is perfect for any tall plants which can have a tendency to topple over. The design of this pot is simple and timeless, Pageqiu’s brand is about the plants themselves bringing texture and life to our interior spaces. The clean look helps to keep the attention on the foliage of the calathea.
Key Features:
- Material: Ceramic
- Price: $23.99
- Dimensions: 6 inch diameter but this pot is also available in 7.5 and 9 inches
- Drainage: Yes
Who Is It For?
This pot would be great for anyone with a top-heavy calathea that needs a sleek and functional pot to keep it steady. The look of the pot is so seamless I think it would be attractive in any setting. This pot would make a great present for any occasion or recipient, but I think it’s especially perfect for a housewarming gift as the pot could be used indoors and outdoors.
Best Terracotta: Medium Terracotta Pot
This beautiful planter is handcrafted and comes in a variety of sizes so you can find the perfect match for your calathea. It’s made from terracotta which has a naturally smooth finish and is highly porous, making it the ideal plant pot material as it absorbs moisture. Terracotta also allows for extra breathability, which is great at preventing root rot. The pots are finished with a drainage hole and saucer which fits flush to the bottom of the pot. A drainage net and protective scratch pad is added. This helps to prevent any soil spilling and the scratch pad is to protect any tabletop wood surfaces from being damaged.
Key Features:
- Material: Terracotta
- Price: Ranges from $14.99 to $84.99 depending on the size you choose
- Dimensions: Comes in 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 inch diameter
- Drainage: Yes
Who Is It For?
This terracotta pot is a great option for people who want a sleek, minimal look with a functional pot that won’t damage their home or their plants. They’re also a perfect choice for people who like to customize their plant pots as terracotta’s porous nature makes them easy to paint. I love adding painted patterns to mine to match my other pots and to create something unique.
Best Decorative Pot: Natural Basket
This plant pot is a really easy way to spruce up any corner of your home without sacrificing functionality. You’ll need to use a nursery pot and saucer inside of this basket, but it’s so worth it. This basket is woven of natural wicker fibers, giving it a warm and cozy vibe. Bloomscape has this basket in a few different designs so you can mix and match to suit your own style. I also love that the basket is collapsible so it’s easy to move and store, plus it’s super lightweight.
Key Features:
- Material: Natural wicker fibers
- Price: $49
- Dimensions: 17 inches
- Drainage: No – so pair this will a plastic liner pot and saucer
Who Is It For?
This pot is great if you have a plant that doesn’t need repotting but you want to be able to change up their look. It can be easily moved between different plants to figure out which combination you like without actually needing to be repotted. Plus you can just store them in-between uses. I absolutely love baskets, they’re so underrated. Therefore, I think this is for anyone with a cozy, warm aesthetic and lots of plants!
Buying Guide and What You Should Know
Material
The best choice for a calathea pot will be something with great drainage, I like to use terracotta, ceramic or plastic for calatheas. Plastic pots are a lot less breathable, therefore the soil stays wet for longer, which isn’t a problem as long as you reduce watering to compensate.
| Plastic | Ceramic | Terracotta |
| Super cheap | More expensive | Super duper cheap |
| Less breathable | Breathable | Extra breathable |
| Ugliest choice | Loads of aesthetic options | Cute but less options |
A calathea will be fine in any type of pot, just keep in mind the material you choose when figuring out how often to water. Terracotta and ceramic are great because they are porous and allow the water to wick out of the soil faster, helping the plant to regulate the water levels in the soil and prevent root rot. If the ceramic is glazed inside it won’t wick any water away, so it’s worth checking the inside first.
Plastic pots are great because they are super easy to move around, they are light, cheap and can be cut to size if needed. It’s also easy to cut a drainage hole into pots without them. Lots of garden centers or DIY stores have nursery pots for free as a way to reduce their waste.
The major thing to avoid is a metal pot, they’re alright sometimes if you already have one if they’re in the shade, but in the sun they get really hot. This means they’ll need replacing more often and the extra heat and rust can really damage the plant.
Size
My general rule is you’ll want a pot that’s around 1-2” deeper and wider than the root ball of the plant. Avoid getting a huge pot with the mindset that it gives the plant more room to grow, this leads to shock and root rot. It’s better to get the right size and repot the plant more often, you won’t even necessarily need a new pot each time because you might be able to move your collection of plants through all of the same pots, only buying one each time! You can also trim the roots and pot back into the same pot with new soil.
By growing your calathea in a pot that is not too much larger than the existing pot you will encourage the plant to focus on growing new shoots instead of new roots, this is great if you want your plant to get a lot bigger and bushier.
Drainage
I recommend combining a pot with great drainage alongside a soil mix which helps the water percolate, you can add perlite and vermiculite to aid in this process. Bonus tip, if your plant pot has just one large drainage hole use a piece of gauze to stop the soil leaking out of the pot when you water – but never, ever use gravel to improve drainage because it just does not work.
FAQs
Do Calathea like deep or shallow pots?
Calathea plants tend to have delicate roots and often have a lot of foliage, meaning they need a bit more support from their pots, so I like to use a deeper, heavier pot. Just make sure that the pot isn’t too deep or excess water can pool at the bottom where there’s no roots and eventually lead to root rot.
How do I repot my calathea plant?
Gently remove the calathea from the planter it’s currently in, you can give it a wiggle and squish the pot about if the plant is stuck. Use this opportunity to shake out the roots, removing as much of the old soil as possible. Then you’ll need to start filling in the pot and surround the root ball with the new soil. Gently pat the soil around the base of the stems to help settle the plant, but avoid pushing the soil too much as you don’t want it to be compacted. Give the plant a gentle water and voila!
What if I have a planter but it has no drainage?
Very common issue, I feel you, we’ve all been there! If you’ve fallen head over heels for a container and MUST grow a plant in it even though it has no drainage, we can work around this problem. Either, go ahead and drill a hole in the base of the container or more simply, use a nursery pot. The term nursery pot just refers to the plain, basic plastic pots that plants come in when you buy them. I tend to use a nursery pot inside of decorative pots to ensure I can grow my plants indoors and provide them with drainage. Many nurseries or hardware shops will have free nursery pots and trays available. This means you can take the plant in the nursery pot out, bottom water it and then just pop it back in the decorative pot, it’s easy and mess free.
Extra tip: make sure to clean any nursery pots before you use them, especially if you’re recycling them from an old plant you have had previously.
The Bottom Line
There’s every type of pot available on the market, and it can be so hard to choose. You want something that will match your style and look nice around the home, but if you skimp on the function your plants may pay the price. All five of the plant pots I’ve got in this article are amazing choices that don’t sacrifice function for style but do still look great. My favorite pick is the Bloomscape repotting kit which uses their premium potting soil mix and ecopot’s sustainable pots. I’d also recommend a natural basket for everyone regardless since they’re just so versatile!
Just remember to consider drainage, durability and size when choosing your next calathea plant pot and you’ll be grand!
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