Succulent White-Pot Pairings

White pots are a simple, effective way to display your prized succulents and cacti. Here I've paired colorful, geometric cacti and sculptural succulent euphorbias with an assortment of white-glazed containers. Solo or in groupings, succulent white-pot pairings would look good on your patio, deck, entryway or sunroom.

See the 4-min. video: Succulent White-Pot Pairings.

#1 Euphorbia lactea variegata, crested

I usually start with a project's largest item and work my way down, so the design flows from the biggest, most prominent element. The first plant I chose at Oasis Water Efficient Gardens (a succulent specialty nursery near me owned by Altman Plants) was a white-variegated crested euphorbia. Its coloration repeats that of the largest container, and the plant's spiky texture contrasts with the pot's smooth finish. The euphorbia is in scale with the pot...not too large or small. That's important aesthetically and practically---the arrangement will look the same for years (crested plants grow slowly).

#2 Euphorbia leucodendron (cats' tails)

I repeated the horizontal lines of the pot with the upright lines of a cylindrical cats' tails succulent. Wherever you put it, the euphorbia provides a strong vertical element. The nursery plant had more stems than I needed, but because they were a half a dozen rooted cuttings, they easily pulled apart.

#3 Echinocereus rigidissimus rubrispius ("Red-headed Irishman")

The pink of the crested euphorbia led me to select this magenta echinocereus (which also has white in its spines), but those at the nursery weren't large enough to fill the bowl-shaped pot. Cross-hatching in the pot repeated patterns in the echinocereus and I liked the cactus' clean lines, so I decided to combine several. Doing so emphasizes and repeats pleasing circles; and having five rosy, radiating starbursts creates design interest.

Compositions like these look unfinished if soil shows, so we concealed it with a topdressing of white crushed rock and white stones.

Production assistant Pat Roach pours white crushed rock

4. Melocactus azureus. 

I'd rather not put a succulent in a pot that's deeper than the plant is tall because roots may rot in soil that stays moist. But this blue melocactus was a perfect match for our last and smallest pot. In the video you'll see me pour pumice down the inside of the pot; that's to absorb excess moisture. The resulting plant-pot combo showcases the plant's geometric shape and looks good with the rest of the planted white pots, too.