Ideas, Inspiration and Imagination
Containers for succulents can range from the unique to the common, rustic to classic.
Build your own creative succulent containers, or search out rustic salvage or garage sale finds to use as fun and funky planters. Or choose sleek modern designs – succulents go well with every type and kind of decorative planter.
Your succulents will look fabulous on your deck or patio in groups as an accent, or in a fantastic huge concrete or faux stone urn as a focal point.
A large rugged hypertufa planter suits a country garden perfectly.
A more refined version such as an elegant cast concrete planter will blend into the style of more formal garden designs.
Imagine how this would look; a rustic moss covered plant pot planted with a mixture of gorgeous succulents spilling over the side placed at the top of some stone steps, or a unique root planter filled with Sempervivum (hens and chicks) or rare hardy Orostachys.
Some of my favorite containers for succulents are terracotta clay pots like my favorite old strawberry pot which gets replanted every year with a different theme – whatever I’m trending and testing.
Clay pots are great for succulents, because of the porous nature of the clay.
This allows air exchange for the roots, and also allows excess moisture to escape. It’s preferable to plant succulents (and most other plants) in an unglazed ceramic or pottery pot for exactly this reason.
See more here about choosing the right sized pot for your succulents.
Hypertufa Planters
Click on the image for some inspiration and ideas for fun hypertufa planters for succulents.
Learn how to make hypertufa here.
Metal Planters
Lots of fun ways to plant succulents in metal pots and even things not meant as planters – click on the picture!
Styrofoam Planters
Recycle, reuse and keep junk out of the landfill.
Succulent Planters
Glass, pottery and ceramic planters – recycled, purpose built and funky.
Think outside the box when gardening in containers, keeping in mind a few key points such as drainage, soil type and sun exposure.
Also be aware of how top heavy large succulents can be, especially when allowed to dry out between waterings, as I recommend.
Nothing is worse than coming home after a wind storm to find your whole collection in tatters on the deck.
Succulent Container Tip
For a display in full sun, metal or dark colored planters get too hot even for the
roots of heat loving succulent plants; display these containers where they’ll get early morning sun only. Or paint them!
Try some of these ideas for planters and pots:
Looking out for salvage to use for containers to plant your favorite succulents in is fun – I always go to the local recycle center, the thrift store run by our local hospital auxiliary, and stop in to as many garage sales as I can.
You would be amazed at how much I find that has the potential to be a really fun and funky succulent planter.
Even things as mundane as fish tanks or bowls can make fabulous planters.
I always watch out for twigs with a twist to use for handles on old tool boxes, tin can planters and hypertufa baskets.
Find these at the curb when someone has trimmed an old fruit tree, as they’ll have interesting shapes.
Don’t know what hypertufa is? Only one of the most interesting and fun ways to make special plant pots for succulents!
Above all, have fun, and don’t hesitate to take any idea you see and run with it.
Unsure which plants will do well in containers?
Succulents are so forgiving, they don’t care what kind of container they’re in – choose your container, pick some plants, combine, and ENJOY! You’ll never tire of the millions of different ways these plants go together – and the best part? There are no bad combinations…
I mix and match, sometimes keeping tender succulents together, but quite often a combination of Sedum, Sempervivum and tender succulents looks great in unique planters like these succulents in a wheelbarrow or succulents in enamel ware.
Please note; hardy Sedum and Sempervivum are not happy inside your house during the winter, so leave them outside in the garden instead.
I write this from the perspective of Zone 5a on the Canadian Plant Hardiness zone map so use your own judgement. Trying to grow these hardy succulents indoors is the main cause of Sempervivum problems.
The beauty of succulents is their willingness to adapt to any conditions (except excess wetness) and if the planting gets overcrowded, simply take it apart, and start again; fresh soil and a trim will do wonders for an overgrown container of succulents.
Don’t just abandon your containers when winter approaches:
Take the tender succulents indoors…
…and let the hardy succulents have a dormant rest outside.
As the cooler weather of fall approaches, take apart your containers that have a mix of tender and hardy succulents; the tender ones need a winter home indoors, the hardy Sedum, Sempervivum and Jovibarba prefer their cool dormant period in a garden bed until spring.
Plant some Jovibarba in a rustic salvaged wheelbarrow for an amazingly tough display.
These plants don’t even blink at really challenging conditions; drought, freezing cold, even waterlogged soil – the chicks just climb up on the mother hens back, and keep their feet dry until spring.
The mother hen dies, but her chicks live on, rolling away to form another colony. What other kinds of plants do that?
See 21 more unique succulent planters for more ideas!
Succulent Planter Gallery
How do you contain your succulents? Share it! Do you have a crafty way to display your collection of succulent plants, Sedum, Sempervivum or other gorgeous Drought Smart Plants? Add your favorite planter to the Gallery for inspiration and ideas.
Click here to see the rest of the form and complete your submission.
See other Succulent Planter ideas below…
…click on the links to get inspired…
4 Simple & Adorable Succulent Decoration Ideas
Succulents are the perfect plants for me: they are extremely easy to care for and therefore also suitable for someone without a green thumb. I will show …
Hens and Chicks Footwear
Not sure where my wife got the idea to confiscate a pair of her brothers shoes as a home for the hens and chicks. Maybe we were out of old coffee pots …
I love succulents
I have a large shoe made of cement that I tucked a few hen & chicks into several years ago. It looks great peeking out from under taller plants in my …
Dearly Repotted
My designs are made with love.. and very little money – thrift stores and cuttings go a LONG WAY! I like to put designs together in any price range. …
I just love the way they look…
…so natural in wicker baskets! A vintage grape vine basket that I’ve had for years… .. .
Window succulents
Made the container for the succulents out of chair rail border and scrap wood.
I love my pots of succulants…
…they give a lovely show all year around and change shape all of the time while growing. I started with a very few succulants and have gradually potted …
Garden Art and Stuff made from Salvage
It used to be that you had to sneak around and find those interesting old pieces of junk (or Junque, if you prefer) to plant your little alpines and moss …
Cactus Planter
Cactus normally have small roots compared to the top of the plant, and can be grown quite happily in a container. There are many tender cactus that like …
Prepare Your Succulent Containers for Winter
Winters coming – how do you prepare for it? If you have containers filled with hardy succulents, this is an easy one – in most cases, those types of …
My own Semp planters.
I am a concrete artisan in Vernon B.C., these are a few of the Semp and cacti planters I made for last season.I have almost completely sold out; already …
Everything and the kitchen sink!
Terra cotta strawberry planter,and a large lava rock, and an old crane wall mounted porcelain bathroom sink. Hi Daryl – those are fabulous! Thanks …
What’s Louise been up to?
Louise is a good customer of mine, and she’s got some wonderful ideas on how to use succulents of all kinds in her Alberta garden. If you’re in a …
Wierd Stuff by Mad Stylist
Katy Walker
Camouflage Planters
You know sometimes how you have a real conglomeration of excess plant pots and some of them get used once in a while when you have nothing else because …
Twig Handled Hypertufa Basket
I love finding wiggly twigs on my walks in the woods, but finding ways to use them that will set off their beauty is another matter. Here’s one way …
Too hot for flowers
I want to replace my annuals with something to take it through to fall. My annuals never did really bloom and look pretty this year because of extreme …
Guerrilla Gardening with Elmo
I thought of your website as I introduced one of my daughters to guerrilla gardening. We got up early on Saturday and armed with clippers, took her …
Hens and Chicks filled boot with elephant trunk plant.
Here is my dad’s old work boot filled with his hens and chicks. All I did was take a knife and cut out long slit like holes where I wanted to plant …
The Tiki’s!
Had a set luau lights go bad and was bummed about throwing away the light covers. After some thought came up with this fun creation. Drought Smart …
Crystal Cove
We have a very creative maintenance fellow who made 2 of these planters from his scrap pile! I think this combination of plants are the perfect topping …
Succulent Flower Arranging
Succulents aren’t just for planting – you can also use them for making incredible flower arrangements – in some cases, these displays can last for weeks …
My favorite – Terracotta pots
I love growing succulents in terracotta pots – they have the perfect blend of weight to stop the heaviest of my plants from tipping over, and permeability …
Driftwood and Old Roots
I love using found objects for planters – the funkier the better. Nature provides the most unique and wonderful things to plant into, like this gorgeous …
Succulents in a Glass Fish Tank
It’s been said that you can’t grow succulent plants successfully in a container without a drainage hole – I beg to differ! Here’s a way you can plant …
Backyard Succulent Gardener
I love succulents!! So this summer I decided to do a succulent tray using up a bunch of small eclectic pots to feature a variety.
Rustic Salvaged Art
I’m notorious for making really cool planters and other garden art out of pretty much anything that other people see as trash. I have no pride – I’ll …
Antique Wicker Window Box
This is actually a very old wicker window box, it’s been in my family for three generations. I wondered if I can find out what the plants are, now that …
Gift from the Volcano
I didn’t really go to a volcano for it, but had this chunk of strange looking rock in my fish tank. The fish all found new homes, or died, so I took the …
