Key Points
Avoid terra-cotta pots for moisture-loving plants like ferns, Venus flytraps, and peace lilies since the porous clay dries out the soil quickly.Outdoor evergreens need frost-resistant pots—standard terra-cotta may crack in winter unless it’s a high-quality variety like Italian Impruneta.If roots poke through drainage holes or your plant stays droopy after watering, it’s time to repot—glazed pots with raw clay interiors are great for better air flow.
While common, terra-cotta pots are not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to your green friends. According to gardening experts, many plants will actually struggle when placed in terra-cotta pots.
Below, we’re sharing four plant types that you will want to pay special attention to when gardening.
Meet the Expert
Madeline Hooper is a creator, executive producer, and host of GardenFit Productions, LLC.
Justin Hancock is a Costa Farms horticulturalist.
Allison Futeral is the owner of a rare plant shop Crimson Horticultural Rarities.
Ferns
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Feifei Cui-Paoluzzo / Getty Images
Ferns will require moist soil to thrive and therefore will not do well in a terra-cotta pot, Madeline Hooper, creator, executive producer, and host of GardenFit Productions, LLC, explains.
“These pots are made from a porous material which allows water and air to pass through them, and this evaporation process dries out the soil quickly,” she says.
Opting for a terra-cotta pot will also create more work for you as a plant parent. Paul Thompson, the educator and plant aficionado behind Plant Me Paul, explains how your fern will suffer in a terra-cotta pot if you don’t plan on watering it frequently or keeping it in a well-humidified area.
Hooper adds that starting seedlings will also not do well in terra-cotta pots for this same reason.
A nice alternative is to select a ceramic pot, which Hooper notes also comes in a variety of patterns and styles.
Venus Flytrap
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Paul Starosta / Getty Images
The venus flytrap, spiky-looking flower, is partial to wet soils, and is going to do best in another type of pot.
“Since the terra-cotta pot is porous, the clay can potentially absorb harmful salts that may accumulate in the soil and harm the plant,” Thompson says.
Peace Lilies
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OsakaWayne Studios / Getty Images
Peace lilies will be fine in a terra-cotta pot, Thompson says, but will dry out faster and require more frequent waterings. For best results, he recommends placing them inside of a ceramic pot.
“The good thing about peace lilies, though, is that they tell you when they’re thirsty,” Thompson says.
Evergreens
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Kelvin Murray / Getty Images
If you plan to grow evergreens outside year-round and your terra-cotta pot isn’t frost-resistant, you will want to seek out another vessel option, Justin Hancock, Costa Farms horticulturalist, says.
The terra-cotta could end up cracking or breaking outdoors over the winter if it’s not suitable for your climate, Hancock says. However, do note that there are certain terra-cotta pots available that are of a higher quality and can survive the seasons.
“Impruneta terra-cotta from Italy has a much better temperature threshold than their less expensive American- and Mexican-made counterparts,” Drew English, head dahlia gardener at High Hampton, explains.
Signs Your Plant Needs a New Pot
According to Allison Futeral, owner of a rare plant shop, Crimson Horticultural Rarities, it will be easy to tell whether your plant is not thriving in its current pot and could use a change of scenery.
“One sure way to tell that you need to repot is if your roots are starting to emerge from the bottom drainage hole,” she says.
Moreover, if you water your plant and it remains droopy, this indicates that conditions need to change. This is a big sign that there isn’t enough soil left, which is why the roots are not able to hold onto any water, Futeral says.
“You also might notice that your water and the plant drains, but still look thirsty,” she adds, noting another situation that calls for a new pot.
If you choose to repot your plants, Futeral advises doing so during a warm weather season when the plant is strong and growing.
The Best Non-Terra-Cotta Pots to Purchase
Futeral offers her expertise regarding which types of pots those looking to avoid terra-cotta will want to use instead.
She is partial to pots that are glazed on the outside and raw clay on the inside because it allows for more air to circulate.
“When you have something that is fully glazed, there is not much air circulation, which is why this works great for ferns and water-loving plants,” Futeral says.
Plants That Do Well in Terra-cotta Pots
Now that you’ve removed the aforementioned green friends from their terra-cotta pots, you may be wondering what types of plants will actually do well in these vessels.
According to Futeral, any plant that dries out between waterings will do well in a terra-cotta pot. Examples include cacti, succulents, hoyas, beaucarneas, peperomias, pothos, and more.
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