Italian Florentine Terracotta Pot

The Italian Florentine is a natural terracotta bowl in three small sizes: 150mm, 210mm and 290mm across. It is shallower than a standard pot, which suits succulents, herbs and anything else that roots near the surface, and the unglazed clay breathes so those plants are not left sitting in wet mix. Drainage holes are included in all three sizes.

Why you'll love it

• Shallow by design. A bowl gives surface area rather than depth, so shallow rooted species spread properly instead of racing for the base.
• Breathable clay. Unglazed terracotta lets air and moisture pass through the wall, which keeps the mix drier between waterings and suits plants that hate wet feet.
• Small enough to group. Three sizes that step up neatly, so a set of three on a step or a table reads as one arrangement.
• Drainage holes as standard. Nothing to drill and nowhere for water to sit.

Sizes and what fits in them

Sizes are the diameter across the rim, and volumes are approximate.

• 150mm. 85mm high, about 1 to 1.5 litres. One succulent, a single small herb, or a few seedlings started together.
• 210mm. 115mm high, about 3 to 4 litres. A tight succulent arrangement of three or four plants, or a pair of culinary herbs.
• 290mm. 150mm high, about 6 to 7 litres. The one for a mixed bowl: a low centrepiece with smaller plants filling out around it.

Material, weathering and drainage

Material. Natural terracotta in a plain, unglazed finish. Brush it clean or rinse it with water when you replant.

Outdoors. Approved for indoor and outdoor use. Outside, the clay weathers naturally and gains the pale salt bloom terracotta is bought for. It is not sold with a frost rating, so in cold districts bring it under cover for winter.

Drainage. Drainage holes are included, and no saucer is supplied. Matching saucers are sold separately and worth adding indoors or on paving. Because both the shallow shape and the porous clay dry quickly, use a free draining mix and check it often in summer.

What to expect when it arrives

Bowls ship empty and unplanted, boxed for transport. Terracotta is fired clay, so expect small differences in tone, thickness and texture: a 210mm bowl bought today will sit happily beside an older one without matching it. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95.

Related pots and planting

• See every terracotta pot we stock
• Compare the bowl planter shapes
• Succulents that suit a shallow bowl
• How to pick the right pot size