A bowl planter suits plants with shallow, spreading roots: succulents, seasonal flowers, ferns, small bonsai and low ornamental greens. The shallower the bowl, the smaller and slower the plant should be, so match the depth of the pot to the plant before you match the colour.
Which plants grow well in a wide, shallow pot?
A bowl holds less soil depth than a cylinder of the same width, but it gives roots more room to spread sideways. That favours plants that root near the surface and grow outwards rather than down.
- Succulents and cacti cope with a thin layer of soil and like it to dry out between waterings.
- Seasonal flowers such as annual bedding plants can be packed in for one season and replaced.
- Ferns and trailing greens spread across the surface and spill over the rim.
- Bonsai are kept in shallow containers on purpose, to restrain root growth.
Tall palms and deep-rooted shrubs need depth. Keep them for the largest, deepest bowls, such as the bigger Ribis sizes, and leave the flat bowls to low plants.
How do Crescent, Kylix, Floris and Ribis compare?
We make four bowl-shaped planters. The fourth column shows how many times wider than tall each one is, worked out from the sizes on its product page. A higher number means a flatter bowl.
| Model | Shape | Sizes (dia x height) | Width to height | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent | Low bowl with smooth crescent-inspired curves | 15 x 6.75 and 18 x 8 inch | About 2.2 to 1 | With plate |
| Kylix | Shallow vessel after the Greek kylix, wide opening, pedestal-style base | 18 x 10 and 25 x 13 inch | About 1.8 to 1.9 to 1 | Without plate |
| Floris | Soft, flower-inspired curves | 14.5 x 10, 18 x 13 and 21 x 15 inch | About 1.4 to 1 | With plate |
| Ribis | Wide mouth, ribbed upper band ending in a scalloped edge | 8 x 7, 12 x 10, 16 x 13 and 22 x 18 inch | About 1.2 to 1 | With plate |
All four are in our Roto Premium Series, UV protected, with a pre-drilled drainage hole, in Beige Stone, White Stone and Gray Stone.
Which bowl suits which plant?
- Crescent, for succulents and low flowers. It is the flattest of the four, so it suits a succulent arrangement or a low spread of flowers seen from above, on a coffee table or a low stand.
- Kylix, for bonsai and ornamental greens. Its product page suggests bonsai, flowering plants and ornamental greens. The pedestal-style base lifts the plant, which suits a single specimen shown on its own.
- Floris, for flowering plants and mixed foliage. It sits between the flat bowls and Ribis in depth, so it takes a mixed planting with a little more root room.
- Ribis, for ferns and table-top greens. Its page suggests ferns, succulent arrangements, seasonal flowers and table-top greens. With four sizes from an 8 inch desk pot to a 22 inch floor bowl, one design can repeat through a room or along a balcony.
How do you plant a shallow bowl so it does not waterlog?
- Check the drainage hole is clear before you add any soil.
- Use a light, free-draining mix. For succulents, add coarse sand or grit.
- Set the main plant first, then fill outwards, leaving gaps for the plants to spread.
- Keep the soil a little below the rim so water does not run over the edge.
- Check moisture more often in summer. A shallow pot holds less soil, so it dries faster in sun.
Kylix comes without a plate, so stand it on a tray or saucer if it goes indoors on a finished floor.
Can a bowl planter go outdoors?
Yes. All four models are UV protected, and our product pages describe them for indoor and outdoor use, from living rooms and lobbies to balconies and patios. In the monsoon, keep the drainage hole clear.
Where can you see the bowl range?
Start with Ribis if you want one shape in several sizes, or Crescent for the flattest bowl. For the rest of our round planters, tell us the plants and the space you are filling and we will suggest a bowl for each.