Tall cypress trees in planters on a contemporary balcony

Tall Outdoor Planters

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About this collection

Tall outdoor planters lift planting into the eyeline. They flank entrances, mark thresholds, screen a view, and give height in a space where there is no ground to plant into. This collection holds the 36 planters we carry that reach 24 inches or more in height, in round, tapered, rectangular and column forms.

What height actually buys you

Three different things, and it is worth knowing which one you are after.

Presence. A tall planter is read as architecture rather than decoration. Flanking a door or framing a view, the planter does the work before the plant does.

Reach. Height puts foliage at eye level without waiting for a plant to grow into the position. A 36 inch planter with a 24 inch shrub gives you a five foot mass on delivery.

Root depth. Taller usually means deeper, which suits shrubs, small trees and anything staying in place for years rather than a season.

The three do not always come together. A tall narrow column has presence and reach but limited soil volume; a deep tapered form has root depth without much height. Check the interior dimensions, not the exterior height.

What a tall planter does not do

It is not automatically stable. Height on a narrow base is a tipping risk before planting, and a sail once planted. Wider bases, ballast and grouping all help. On exposed sites and at height, treat wind as a real constraint rather than an afterthought.

Tall does not mean high capacity. Much of a tall planter's volume can sit below a tapering profile, so soil volume is often less than the silhouette suggests. Two planters of the same height can differ substantially in what they hold.

It does not screen on its own. A single tall planter is a statement, not a barrier. Screening needs a run of long rectangles rather than isolated columns.

Material, drainage and delivery

Every planter here is fiberglass composite in one of twenty finishes, with the colour running through the shell rather than applied as a coat. The material is frost-proof and UV-stable and does not crack in freeze-thaw. Outdoors, kept well drained, expect ten to fifteen years or more, with a three year manufacturer warranty from Jay Scotts.

Drainage matters more on a tall planter than a shallow one, because water collects at a base you cannot see. We drill it free of charge on request; it is not drilled by default, and drilled planters are final sale.

Made to order, so allow two to ten business days of production. Standard sizes ship free by ground within the contiguous United States; larger units ship freight at a flat 495 dollars, free over 2,000 dollars.

Related collections

If the aim is a continuous screen rather than individual height, the privacy and screening planters collection covers the long rectangular forms that line up into a run.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

How tall is a tall planter?

In this collection, 24 inches and up, reaching 42 inches at the tallest. Below 24 inches a planter reads as a pot on the ground rather than a piece with presence. There is no industry standard for the term, so check the published exterior height and, more importantly, the interior depth, since feet and rim detail can account for several inches of the total.

What do you put in the bottom of a tall planter?

A drainage layer and, if you want, inert filler to reduce soil volume, provided the root ball still has adequate depth beneath it. This is a common and sensible practice on tall planters: it cuts soil cost and weight without harming the plant. What it should not do is reduce the usable depth below what the roots need.

What plants suit a tall planter?

Upright forms that carry the height: columnar evergreens, small ornamental trees, tall grasses, or a trailing plant where you want to break the line. The practical constraint is root volume rather than height, so check the interior dimensions and the grow pot capacity we publish for each size.

Do tall planters tip over?

They can, before planting especially, and in wind once a plant is catching air. Risk rises with height and falls with base width and soil weight. Choose wider bases where exposure is real, ballast the base, and group planters so they shelter each other. On roofs and upper terraces treat wind as an engineering question rather than a judgement call.

Are tall planters good for privacy?

One is not. Screening needs a continuous run, which means long rectangles rather than isolated columns, so the privacy and screening collection is the better starting point. Tall planters give height at a point; screening planters give a line.

How much soil does a tall planter need?

Less than the height suggests, often. Tapered and columnar forms lose volume below the widest point, so soil requirement tracks interior dimensions rather than exterior height. Multiply the interior length, width and depth in feet for cubic feet, and remember saturated soil weighs roughly 80 pounds per cubic foot when you are planning placement.

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