Planters for Trees

(13 products)

Planters for trees have to hold a root ball, not just look large. These are the models we carry with an interior at least 24 in across and 20 in deep, in fiberglass composite that stays light enough to move once planted.
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Large planters for trees, matched by *interior* rather than exterior

A tree is the one plant that will tell you immediately whether the planter was chosen properly. Too shallow and the root ball sits proud of the rim; too narrow and it never establishes. The models on this page are filtered on the interior rather than the exterior, which is the measurement that decides the answer.

The number that matters is the interior, and most sellers do not publish it

A planter's exterior tells you what it looks like in the space. The interior tells you whether the tree fits. Every size here publishes its interior length, width and depth alongside the exterior, taken from the manufacturer's own per-size table, so you can compare against the nursery container you are transplanting from.

Depth is the constraint, not width

Most buyers size a tree planter by how wide it looks. The root ball of a nursery tree is usually deeper than it is broad at the point of sale, and a shallow bowl of the same diameter will not take it. The models here start at 20 in of interior depth and run to the full height of the body.

Weight, once it is full

A tree planter is filled once and moved rarely, so the empty weight matters less than whether the filled unit can reach its position. Each size lists its own weight and whether it ships by ground or by freight, which is the same threshold that decides whether two people can carry it up a stair.

Shapes that suit a single specimen

A tree reads best in a container that does not compete with it. The tapered rounds and upright squares here give the trunk a base without drawing the eye, and the larger rectangles take a pair, or a short run along a boundary.

Related: extra large planters, large outdoor planters, tall outdoor planters and commercial planters.

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Frequently asked questions

What size planter does an olive tree need?

Match the interior to the nursery container rather than to the tree. A standard olive in a 15 gallon pot wants an interior around 18 to 20 in across and at least as deep, which puts it in the smaller half of this collection. Every size here publishes its interior dimensions, so compare against the pot the tree arrives in.

How deep does a planter need to be for a root ball?

Deep enough that the root ball sits below the rim with room for soil beneath it. The models on this page all offer at least 20 in of interior depth. Depth is the measurement people under-buy, because a wide, shallow vessel looks generous and will not take the ball.

Can a tree planter go on a roof deck?

It depends on the loading, and the filled weight is what to check, not the empty one. Each size lists its own weight and whether it ships by ground or by freight. Fiberglass composite is a fraction of the weight of the same shape in concrete, which is what makes trees on a deck possible at all, but the structural limit is a question for the building.

Do these planters come with drainage holes?

Holes are not pre-cut by default, because interior installations, liner-based schemes and planters standing over a finished surface often need to stay sealed. We drill drainage free of charge on request, to the manufacturer's published guidance on hole size and spacing. Cutting outside that guidance is not covered by warranty, so ask us rather than improvising.

How often does a tree need repotting in one of these?

That is a horticultural question rather than a product one, and it depends on the species and the growth rate. What the planter can do is give you the headroom to delay it, which is the argument for buying on interior volume rather than on the footprint that looks right today.

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