How to Choose the Right Planter for Your Space

Material changes how often you water. Unglazed terracotta breathes and dries out fast, which suits succulents and anyone prone to overwatering. Glazed ceramic and metal hold moisture much longer — better for ferns and peace lilies, riskier for a cactus.

Whatever you choose, insist on a drainage hole, or use the decorative pot as a cachepot with the plant still in its nursery liner inside. A sealed pot with soil packed straight into it is the most common way a healthy plant quietly drowns.