So, you’ve chosen the style of your next planter, but you’re not sure what color the planter should be? Picking that perfect planter color can certainly be tricky as there are many things you need to factor into your decision. For starters, will the new color mesh nicely with all the colors around it, and how will it affect the people interacting with the space?
Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered here. Here’s what it takes to make a conscious decision concerning planter colors: the most popular colors and what they can add to an area, some of our favorite planter color combinations, key factors to consider when deciding on a color scheme – and much more!
Table of Contents
Why is the Color of Plant Pots Important?
The color of your plant pots goes beyond mere decoration; it plays a crucial role in the health and growth of your plants, as well as the overall aesthetics of your space. Here’s why choosing the right color for your plant pots is essential:
Aesthetic Harmony and Visual Appeal
Interior Design Integration: The color of your pots should complement your interior design scheme. Neutral colors can create a minimalist look, while bold colors can add a pop of personality.
Outdoor Landscape Enhancement: In outdoor settings, pot colors can either blend with natural surroundings or stand out as focal points, enhancing the overall visual appeal of your garden.
Influence on Plant Health
Photosynthesis Efficiency: The color of the pot can influence the amount of light that reaches the plant leaves, impacting the efficiency of photosynthesis. Light-colored pots can enhance light availability, especially in indoor environments.
Light Reflection and Absorption: Different colors reflect or absorb light to varying degrees, affecting the temperature of the soil:
- Light Colors (White, Beige): Reflect sunlight, keeping the soil cooler and protecting plants from overheating. Ideal for plants that thrive in cooler soil conditions.
- Dark Colors (Black, Dark Green): Absorb sunlight, warming the soil, which can be beneficial for plants in cooler climates but may lead to root damage in hot weather.
Psychological and Emotional Effects
Mood and Ambiance: Colors have psychological effects that can influence the ambiance of your space. For instance:
- Blue and Green: These colors are associated with calmness and relaxation, making them perfect for creating a serene indoor environment.
- Bright Colors (Yellow, Red): These can evoke feelings of joy and energy, making them great for lively outdoor areas.
Practical Considerations
- Heat Regulation: The color of the pot can affect how much heat is retained or lost. This is crucial for maintaining optimal soil temperatures, particularly in extreme climates.
- Maintenance and Cleanliness: Lighter colors may show dirt and stains more easily than darker colors, which might require more frequent cleaning to maintain their appearance.
Matching with Plant Types
- Flower Colors: Selecting pot colors that complement or contrast with the colors of your flowers can create stunning visual effects. For example, white pots can make brightly colored flowers stand out, while dark pots can highlight plants with lighter foliage or blooms.
- Foliage Plants: Green pots can blend with foliage, creating a cohesive look, while metallic pots can add a touch of sophistication to any plant.
Seasonal Adjustments
Changing pot colors seasonally can refresh your space and keep it feeling updated. For example, warm colors like red and orange can enhance a fall-themed garden, while pastel colors can brighten up a spring display.
Cultural and Feng Shui Considerations
- Lucky Colors: In some cultures, certain colors are considered lucky and can attract positive energy. For instance, red is often associated with luck and prosperity in many Asian cultures.
- Feng Shui: According to Feng Shui principles, the color of your plant pots can influence the flow of energy in your home or garden. For example, green pots are believed to promote growth and vitality, while blue pots can bring calm and relaxation. Read more on the 10 best Feng Shui plants for home & business
Real-world Application Tips
- Test in Your Space: A paint swatch that seems perfect in the store could look completely different in your space due to varying light conditions. Place color swatches or sample pots in different areas of your space to see how they look under your specific lighting.
- Consider Surroundings: The color of different decorative items in a space could be affected by the intensity and color of the light. For instance, warm light can make yellow, orange, and red look brighter while muting green and blue. Cool light could enrich blue and green.
- Glossy vs. Matte Finishes: A glossy finish can make colors appear lighter, while matte finishes might show the true color more consistently. For example, a red-colored fiberglass planter with a glossy finish might appear slightly lighter when placed next to a red sofa.
Best Color Pots for Plants Indoors
Indoor plant pots should blend with your interior decor while also highlighting the beauty of your plants. Here’s how different colors can work:
Neutral Colors (White, Beige, Gray)
- White Pots: These offer a crisp, clean look that makes greenery pop. They are perfect for modern, minimalist spaces.
- Beige Pots: Ideal for creating a serene, natural feel. Beige pairs wonderfully with wooden furniture and earthy tones, providing a calming ambiance.
- Gray Pots: A sophisticated choice that complements both vibrant and muted color schemes. Gray pots fit seamlessly into modern and industrial decor styles.
Vibrant Colors (Blue, Green, Metallic Tones)
- Blue Pots: Bring tranquility to your space with blue pots, which complement both warm and cool color palettes and add a serene touch.
- Green Pots: These create a harmonious look by blending with the plant foliage, enhancing the natural vibe of your space.
- Metallic Tones (Gold, Silver, Copper): Add a touch of luxury with metallic pots. They create striking contrasts and work well in contemporary and eclectic interiors.
Matching with Interior Color Scheme
Choosing pots that match your interior color scheme ensures a cohesive look. Consider these strategies:
- Monochromatic Scheme: Use varying shades of a single color for a unified and elegant appearance.
- Complementary Colors: Select pots in colors opposite to your main decor on the color wheel for dynamic contrasts.
- Accent Colors: Use bold accent colors to highlight specific areas, creating visual interest and focal points.
Quick tips:
- Neutral Tones for Minimalism: Timeless and versatile, making it easy to refresh the decor.
- Bold Colors for Statements: Perfect for matching seasonal decor or making a vibrant statement.
Best Color Pots for Plants Outdoors
Outdoor pots must endure the elements and enhance your garden’s beauty. Here’s how to choose the right colors:
Earthy Tones (Terracotta, Brown, Green)
- Terracotta Pots: Classic and timeless, terracotta blends naturally with garden landscapes and suits a wide variety of plants.
- Brown Pots: These offer a grounded look, ideal for rustic or traditional garden designs, creating a seamless transition between pot and soil.
- Green Pots: Enhance the lushness of your garden by blending pots with the foliage, perfect for a cohesive, natural look.
Bright Colors (Red, Yellow, Orange)
- Red Pots: Eye-catching and vibrant, red pots make excellent focal points and pair beautifully with green foliage.
- Yellow Pots: Bring cheer and brightness to outdoor spaces, creating a welcoming atmosphere.
- Orange Pots: Add warmth and energy, making them ideal for highlighting specific garden areas or creating autumnal themes.
Quick tips:
- White Pots: Perfect for making colorful flowers stand out while reflecting sunlight to keep soil cooler.
- Dark Pots: Create sleek, modern looks, but be cautious in hot climates as they can absorb heat and potentially harm roots.
Choosing Your Color Scheme for Flower Pots
Choosing the right color for your next interiorscape project can sometimes feel like a losing battle, especially when trying to balance everything perfectly. The best way to get you going is to determine what the room should feel like. With the idea of a warm-toned room versus a minimalist aesthetic, it is far easier to determine what other colors should be added to the room to guarantee that everything flows.
Here are the key things to keep in mind – four simple rules that can point you in the right direction:
1. Weight
While it may not seem like it, colors have weight! Darker shades of one color will make the room feel entirely different than the lighter shades of the same color. Bright colors draw attention to focus areas. They attract the eye to them, and therefore, attract attention to whatever is around them.
Using brightly colored planters in an area you want to draw attention to is the perfect way to guarantee that it is noticed without being too obvious. If what you want to draw attention to is a quirky or standout wall color, choose black! Black emphasizes colors around it, allowing for that other color to shine on its own.
2. Warmth
When warm colors are mentioned, most people think of fall. Crisp burnt oranges, dark reds, soothing Brunswick greens. These colors convey a sense of familiarity that makes any space immediately feel more homey and welcoming than other colors might.
For an area that is designed to feel like home, look for these or other earth-toned colors. Warm-toned rooms work best when there is a lot of natural light. For rooms that have less natural light, it is better to use warm tones as accents.
3. Minimalism
Minimalism is a trend that has increased in recent years. Whites and pastels make rooms look infinitely bigger, and in areas where rooms may be small or compact, it can be incredibly helpful to have them appear bigger than they are.
If having all white is too clinical and stark, using pastels as accents still gives the appearance of a bigger size while allowing for it to have a slight dash of color. Greys also works the minimalist design idea while still giving a sense of color to the room.
If you are into minimalism, here are the 7 minimalist interior design tips that you go by to give your interior that sparse, sleek, soothing look.
4. Balance
Balance is incredibly important. Too many bright colors can make the room look unprofessional, while too many dark colors can make the room feel drab and unwelcoming. To find a good balance, use accents as a middle ground. If there are busy colors in the room, neutral accessories and planters will make the room feel more pulled together.
Accessories such as planters can make or break the scheme of the room, so it’s important to remember the 60-30-10 rule. 60 percent of a room should be a dominant color. 30 percent of a room should be a secondary color. 10 percent should be an accent color!
Color Theory
One of the top design tips that businesses and homeowners need to know is color theory. This is a concept that revolves around the way colors interact with each other in the psyche, and it surrounds the fact that certain colors complement each other while other colors clash. Take a look at the color wheel first.
The color wheel shows all the colors in the general color spectrum. Colors on the opposite side of the wheel will always contrast well, which is why you can see many promotional posters and materials using colors such as blue and orange, black and white, red and green. The number of combinations is virtually limitless here, but here’s how to understand the patterns presented above:
Complementary: It’s all about using four colors that are parallel to each other on the color wheel. These are simple colors that benefit well from each other.
Analogous: Contradictory to complementary, analogous are colors that are right next to each other, often in slightly altered shades. The famous poster of the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight utilizes this by using Blue, Purple, and Violet.
Triadic: Triadic color schemes stem from tri-, meaning three. These are three equally complementing colors that all interact with each other and complement. Yellow, Red, and Blue or Green, Orange, and Purple.
Tetradic: Finally, tetradic or four complementing colors. These are a little more complex but can create breathtaking results. These are examples such as yellow, red, purple, and cyan where you begin splitting colors and finding their more nuanced form.
Best Color Combinations for Flower Pots – Jay Scotts’ Fiberglass Planters Edition
The visual harmony in a design scheme depends largely on the tones and tints of the pure colors that we use in our spaces. Therefore, selecting commercial fiberglass planters in appropriate colors and finishes, like glossy, matte, or metallic, is an important aspect of your design.
Jay Scotts is all about quality and choice. When it comes to our planters, we know there is a lot of room for “wow” factor and brand colors. Because of that, we want to focus on some of our default color choices for our planters, so here are our recommended planter color combinations:
1. Satin Seafoam, Satin Green
2. Matte Bright White, Matte Black
3. Matte Cobalt, Satin Seafoam
4. Matte Cobalt, Satin Seafoam, Satin Green
5. Matte Black, Matte Charcoal
6. Matte Black, Matte Gunmetal
7. Gloss Tangerine, Gloss Saffron
8. Satin Beige, Matte Charcoal
9. Satin Beige, Matte Black
10. Satin Beige, Matte Cobalt
11. Gloss Red, Gloss Bright White
12. Satin Beige, Satin Seafoam
See How Our Fiberglass Planters Perfectly Blend In Every Space
Frequently Asked Questions
White pots are better for hot climates as they reflect light and keep soil cooler, while black pots are better for cooler climates as they absorb heat and keep soil warmer.
- White pots: Reflect light and heat, keeping the soil cooler. Ideal for plants in hot climates or those that prefer cooler soil temperatures.
- Black pots: Absorb heat, warming the soil. Beneficial in cooler climates or for plants that thrive in warmer soil conditions, but can cause soil to overheat in hot weather.
Black plastic pots can be both beneficial and problematic, depending on the climate and plant type. They are:
- Durable and lightweight: Making them easy to handle and move.
- Heat-retaining: Beneficial in cooler climates as they help keep the soil warm. However, in hot climates, they can retain too much heat, causing the soil to overheat and potentially harming the plant roots.
- Economical: Often made from recycled materials, making them an affordable and eco-friendly option.
To mitigate the heat retention issue, consider placing black plastic pots in shaded areas or using a double potting method, where a black pot is placed inside a larger, lighter-colored pot.
Most plant pots are black because:
- Heat retention: In cooler climates, black pots help keep the soil warm, promoting better root growth and overall plant health.
- Cost-effective: Black plastic is cheaper to produce and often made from recycled materials.
- Practical: Black pots blend well with soil and garden settings, making them a practical choice for nurseries and gardeners.
Yes, black planters can get too hot, especially in direct sunlight. This can cause the soil to dry out quickly and potentially harm the plant roots due to excessive heat. To manage this:
- Double potting: Use a larger, light-colored pot to house the black pot, reducing direct heat absorption.
- Monitor soil moisture: Check the soil regularly and water more frequently if necessary.
- Provide shade: Place black planters in areas that receive partial shade during the hottest parts of the day.
The best type of pot depends on the plant species, climate, and personal preference. Below are some of the most common types of pots for plants:
- Fiberglass pots: Lightweight, durable, and available in various colors and designs. They offer excellent insulation, protecting roots from extreme temperatures. Fiberglass pots are also resistant to cracking and fading, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
- Terracotta pots: Porous and breathable, ideal for well-drained soil. However, they may require more frequent watering.
- Plastic pots: Lightweight and retain moisture well but can overheat in direct sunlight.
- Ceramic pots: Decorative and moisture-retaining, suitable for indoor plants but can be heavy.
- Fabric pots: Breathable and promote air pruning, great for temporary planting.
For a more detailed comparison, read our article on planter materials.
When selecting plant pots, consider the following factors:
- Material: Choose based on the plant’s needs, climate, and aesthetic preferences. Each material has its pros and cons regarding breathability, durability, and heat retention.
- Size: Ensure the pot is appropriately sized for the plant’s root system. Too small, and the roots may become cramped; too large, and the soil may retain too much water, causing root rot.
- Drainage: Look for pots with drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. Proper drainage is crucial for most plants to avoid root rot and other moisture-related issues.
- Weight: Consider the weight of the pot, especially if you need to move it frequently. Heavier pots like ceramic or terracotta are stable but less portable.
- Color: Select a color that complements your space and supports plant health. Light colors reflect heat, keeping soil cooler, while dark colors absorb heat, keeping soil warmer.
- Design and aesthetics: Choose a design that matches your decor style and personal preferences, enhancing the visual appeal of your space.
More Reading Matter
We do hope this is more than enough to get you started with your planter colors! If, however, you’re stuck in terms of choosing the best planter type for your next interior or exterior design project, then be sure also to take a look at 8 key factors to consider when choosing a fiberglass planter.
It’s also crucial to know how to actually add planters to your designs successfully, so just check out these unique tips on planter arrangement from professional designers!
If you want to see our planters in action, be sure to check this project out!
Claude Marquise – 301 Ocean, Santa Monica
The client wanted to add privacy to its rooftops, balconies and interior apartments by using the beauty of nature. Learn how our planters were perfect!
View ProjectIf you’re still wondering whether fiberglass is the most suitable planter material for you, then read our comparison of fiberglass with 6 other planter materials. And if you already own a fiberglass planter or a couple of them and would like to maximize their lifespan, then you may find it useful to browse the dos and don’ts of fiberglass planter maintenance.