Plant Pot Sizes Explained
When browsing our plants, you may see sizes such as 140mm, 200mm, 45L, HB, bagged or bare-root. These descriptions refer to how the plant is supplied and the size of its nursery container—not its mature height.
As a general rule, a larger container holds a larger root ball and a more established plant. However, plants naturally grow at different rates and in different shapes. A spreading groundcover, compact shrub and upright tree can look very different even when supplied in the same pot size.
Please note: Available sizes and plant heights are an approximate guide only. Stock fluctuates throughout the season, and other sizes may sometimes be available. All plant stock, container sizes and dimensions are subject to grower availability at the time of ordering.
Pot Size Guide
This quick-reference table explains the sizes most commonly shown in our plant listings.
| Listed size | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Tube stock | A young, economical plant grown in a narrow propagation tube. Ideal for mass planting, but requires attentive watering and care while establishing. |
| 80mm / 90mm / 100mm pot | A small starter plant with a developing root system. Easy to handle and suitable for growing on, economical mass planting or planting directly where it can be watered regularly. |
| 125mm / 140mm pot | A popular garden-ready juvenile plant that is easy to carry and plant. A 125mm pot is slightly smaller than a 140mm pot, but the two are broadly comparable in practical terms. |
| 175mm / 200mm pot | A well-established plant offering a good balance between price, ease of handling and immediate garden impact. A 175mm pot is broadly comparable to a 200mm pot. |
| 250mm pot | A larger, more developed plant with greater foliage and root mass. Often used for feature shrubs and smaller trees. |
| 300mm pot | An established specimen offering more immediate impact. Depending on its weight, it may require two people to move. |
| 400mm pot / 45L | Commonly used for advanced shrubs, screening plants and young trees. Usually requires two-person handling. |
| 500mm pot / 75L | Suitable for screening, feature planting and projects where faster visual impact is important. Mechanical assistance may be required. |
| 100L | A highly advanced tree or large shrub with a substantial root ball. Delivery access and mechanical handling must be considered. |
| 200L and larger | Used for instant scale, shade and high-impact landscaping. Specialist delivery, lifting equipment and professional installation are generally required. |
Indicative Plant Heights
The following heights are a broad guide only. Some plants will naturally be much shorter, taller, narrower or wider.
| Supplied size | Broad indicative height |
|---|---|
| Tube stock | Approximately 5–20cm |
| 80–100mm | Approximately 5–30cm |
| 125–140mm | Approximately 10–50cm |
| 175–200mm | Approximately 20–80cm |
| 250mm | Approximately 40cm–1.2m |
| 300mm | Approximately 50cm–1.6m |
| 400mm / 45L | Approximately 80cm–2.2m |
| 500mm / 75L | Approximately 1.5–2.5m |
| 100L | Approximately 2–3.5m |
| 200L and larger | Commonly 3m and above |
These ranges are most relevant to upright shrubs and trees. Groundcovers, grasses, succulents, cycads, palms, grafted standards and naturally compact varieties may fall well outside these ranges. Heights are generally measured from the top of the container and are not guaranteed dimensions.
What Do Millimetres and Litres Mean?
Smaller nursery pots are generally described by their approximate diameter across the top. Larger containers are usually described by the approximate volume of growing mix they hold.
Some customers and growers still use traditional imperial pot names. These inch sizes are useful comparisons, but they may not be exact mathematical conversions.
| Nursery size | Approximate metric measurement | Traditional equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 125mm | 12.5cm across | 5-inch pot |
| 140mm | 14cm across | 6-inch pot |
| 175mm | 17.5cm across | 7-inch pot |
| 200mm | 20cm across | 8-inch pot |
| 300mm | 30cm across | 12-inch pot |
| 400mm / 45L | Approximately 40cm across or 45 litres | Often called a 14-inch pot |
| 500mm / 75L | Approximately 50cm across or 75 litres | Often called a 16-inch pot |
| 100L | Approximately 100 litres | No standard inch equivalent |
| 200L and larger | Volume shown in litres | No standard inch equivalent |
The inch descriptions are traditional nursery size names and should be treated as general equivalents. They do not always match a direct centimetre-to-inch conversion. Container shape, height and actual capacity can also vary between manufacturers and growers.
What Does “HB” Mean?
HB means hanging basket. For example, 175mm HB means the plant is supplied in an approximately 175mm hanging-basket pot.
Hanging baskets commonly include removable plastic hangers or hanger straps attached to the pot. The exact style, colour and number of hangers can vary between growers. Occasionally, hangers may be removed for safer transport.
“HB” describes the container style rather than the plant’s height or maturity. A hanging basket may be shallower or shaped differently from a standard pot of the same stated diameter. Trailing plants may also cascade below the pot rather than adding to the plant’s upright height.
Bagged and Bare-Root Plants
Some deciduous plants are seasonally sold as bagged or bare-root stock instead of in conventional nursery pots.
Bare-root plants
A bare-root plant is supplied without a pot and with little or no soil surrounding its roots. These plants are lifted while dormant, usually during winter, when they have dropped their leaves and are not actively growing.
Bare-root plants can look like leafless sticks when supplied. This is normal and does not mean the plant is dead. Healthy bare-root plants begin producing roots, leaves and new growth as the weather warms.
Bare-root stock commonly includes:
- roses;
- deciduous fruit and nut trees;
- ornamental deciduous trees;
- grapevines;
- berries and currants; and
- selected deciduous shrubs.
Bare-root plants are economical, lightweight and easy to transport. They should be planted promptly after collection or delivery. Until planting, their roots must be kept cool, protected and moist.
Bagged plants
In this context, bagged usually means a dormant bare-root plant whose roots have been packed in a plastic bag with moist sawdust, potting mix or another protective material.
The bag is packaging rather than a permanent growing container and must be completely removed before planting.
Bagged plants should not be confused with advanced trees grown in large nursery grow bags. An advanced 45L, 75L or 100L grow-bag plant has an established root ball surrounded by growing media. A seasonally bagged bare-root plant is dormant and has little soil around its roots.
When are they available?
Bagged and bare-root plants are generally available during the cooler months while deciduous plants are dormant. Exact arrival dates vary according to the plant, grower and weather conditions.
Popular varieties may be available for only a short time and can sell out before the end of the season. Evergreen plants and most Australian natives are normally supplied in containers rather than bare-root.
Does a Larger Pot Mean a Taller Plant?
Usually—but not always. A larger container generally indicates:
- a larger and more developed root system;
- an older or more established plant;
- greater foliage or branching;
- faster initial visual impact; and
- a higher purchase, delivery and planting cost.
It does not guarantee a particular height. A low-growing shrub in a 300mm pot may be much shorter than a slender tree in a 200mm pot.
Pot size is best understood as an indication of the plant’s root mass and establishment level, rather than its height alone.
Choosing the Right Size
Choose your plant size based on your budget, planting conditions and how quickly you would like the garden to look established.
- Tube stock and 80–100mm pots: Economical choices for mass planting or growing on.
- 125–140mm pots: Convenient garden-ready sizes that remain easy to transport and plant.
- 175–200mm pots: More established plants offering a useful balance between cost and immediate impact.
- 250–300mm pots: Suitable when a fuller, more established appearance is preferred.
- 45–75L: Advanced screening plants, feature shrubs and young trees.
- 100L and above: Advanced trees and statement plants requiring suitable access and installation planning.
- Bagged or bare-root: Economical seasonal choices for suitable deciduous plants, particularly roses and fruit trees.
Smaller plants can establish quickly when planted in suitable conditions and cared for well. Larger plants offer more immediate impact but require larger planting holes, more water and greater care during transport and installation.
Before Ordering Advanced Plants
For plants in 45L containers and larger, consider:
- vehicle and delivery access;
- gates, stairs and narrow pathways;
- the distance from the unloading point to the planting position;
- the weight of the plant and root ball;
- whether lifting equipment will be required; and
- whether professional planting should be arranged.
A 100L or 200L plant cannot normally be moved or planted safely by one person.
Availability and Seasonal Variation
Plants are living products and continue to grow throughout the season. Their height, fullness, flowering stage and overall appearance may differ from website photographs or previous batches.
Available sizes and plant heights are an approximate guide only. Stock fluctuates throughout the season, and other sizes may sometimes be available. All plant stock, container sizes and dimensions are subject to grower availability at the time of ordering.
If an exact height, shape, hanger style or level of screening is important for your project, please contact us before ordering. We can confirm the current stock and provide more specific information where available.