Katakana Ceramic Pot Planter

cache pot

Regular price $18.85
Colors: Black
Cache Pot
Cute
30-day return policy

Katakana is a ceramic plant pot from a stretch when this studio was, collectively and thoroughly, under the influence of Marie Kondo, a phase that lasted close to a year and produced a great deal of folded laundry and at least one very minimalist plant pot.

The name borrows from the Japanese script used for foreign words, which felt right for a glaze that was, in its own quiet way, translating an entire philosophy of restraint into ceramic. We have since returned to our regular levels of clutter. The pot remains as evidence that for a while we genuinely tried. There is no drainage hole, so plant a succulent or use it as a cover pot for a nursery container you can lift out to water. Katakana is the calmest thing we make, a small monument to a tidiness we could not, in the end, sustain.

Product detail
  • Color: Black, Brown, Green, White, White/Black
  • Material: Ceramic
  • Glaze finish:
  • Finish variation: Natural variation between pieces
  • Drainage: No drainage hole
  • Saucer: No Saucer
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Indoor / Outdoor: For indoor use and covered outdoor temperate weather use
  • Designed by: Chive Studio
  • Year Designed:
Plants that love this pot
  • Succulents
  • Cacti
  • Haworthia
  • Echeveria
  • Jade plant
  • Aloe
  • Snake plant
  • Air plants (Tillandsia)

Potting in a Pot Without Drainage

  1. Add a 1-inch layer of small stones or LECA pebbles at the bottom to create a small reservoir, since there is no drainage hole.
  2. Use a well-draining cactus or succulent mix. Not garden soil.
  3. Transplant from the nursery pot, or set the nursery pot inside and lift it out to water.
  4. Water sparingly. Without a drainage hole, less is always safer than more, so let the soil dry between waterings.
  5. Keep it in bright, indirect light, and pour off any standing water pooling at the bottom.

Which pot size for my plant? →

Repotting guide →

Pot Care instructions
  1. Dishwasher-safe. Can also be hand-washed with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
  2. The glaze is dipped and kiln-fired — it is sealed, durable, and not looking for trouble. No special cleaning products required.
  3. For pots with saucers empty the saucer periodically. Standing water in the saucer defeats the purpose of having a drainage hole, which is a thing we feel strongly about.
  4. Not frost-safe. Designed for indoor use and covered outdoor temperate weather use. Freezing temperatures are not recommended.
Shipping & returns

Shipping

  • Free shipping: On qualifying US orders — threshold shown at checkout
  • Standard: 5–8 business daysExpress2–3 business days (at checkout)
  • International Ships: to 40 countries — rates at checkout
  • Packaging Ships: in outer box to protect gift box

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Returns

We accept returns within 30 days of delivery on unused items in original packaging. If your piece arrives damaged, contact us within 14 days with a photo and we will replace it at no charge.

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Katakana Ceramic Pot Planter - Chive Ceramics Studio - Pots - Chive Ceramics Studio

Our Marie Kondo Year

Katakana comes from a stretch when this studio was, collectively and thoroughly, under the influence of Marie Kondo. The phase lasted close to a year. It produced a remarkable quantity of folded laundry, several uncomfortable conversations about whether various objects sparked joy, and at least one very minimalist plant pot.

The name borrows from the Japanese script used for foreign words, which felt exactly right for a glaze that was, in its own quiet way, translating a whole philosophy of restraint into ceramic. Everything about the finish is an argument for less, which is funny coming from a studio whose natural resting state is more.

We have since returned to our regular levels of clutter, gradually and then all at once, the way these things go. The pot remains as evidence that for a while we genuinely tried. There is no drainage hole, so plant a succulent or use it as a cover pot for a nursery container you lift out to water. Katakana is the calmest thing we make, a small ceramic monument to a tidiness we admired, attempted, and ultimately could not sustain. It is the pot to buy when you want the room to feel quieter than your life actually is, which is most of the time, for most of us.


Potting a plant with Chive

  1. Place a 1-inch layer of small stones or LECA pebbles at the bottom of the pot. Optional, but it helps with airflow.
  2. Add well-draining potting mix appropriate to your plant. Not garden soil. We know your grandmother used garden soil. She was wrong about this one thing.
  3. Transplant from the nursery pot, leaving about 1 inch at the top for watering.
  4. Set the pot on the matching saucer.
  5. Water thoroughly until water runs out the drainage hole into the saucer. Empty the saucer once the plant has absorbed what it needs.
Repotting plants with Chive | Chive Studio

The Ultimate Repotting Guide

For those who have killed a plant. Or several. Or, frankly, many.

Before you put a plant into your new pot, you have to get it out of the nursery pot — a process that ends badly more often than any gardening influencer will admit. We wrote a full guide: when to repot (early spring, and not when you're feeling impulsive in October), which soil to use, how to tell your plant is root-bound, and how to avoid the three mistakes that kill perfectly healthy plants within a week of a well-intentioned repotting.

It is the guide we wish someone had handed us twenty-five years ago. It is written by people who have personally committed most of the errors in it.

Katakana Ceramic Pot Planter - Chive Ceramics Studio - Pots - Chive Ceramics Studio

The Rest of the No-Drainage Range

Katakana sits among a shelf of pots that all forgo the drainage hole, each with a backstory it did not ask for. The no-drainage range is the place to meet them. Shop pots without drainage

Channa Ceramic Planter Pot - Chive Ceramics Studio - Pots - Chive Ceramics Studio

No Drainage, No Problem

Katakana has no drainage hole, so a succulent and restraint are the move. A pebble reservoir manages runoff. If you would rather have a hole, the main range covers every size. Shop pots with drainage

Verte Rx Plant Food and Vitamin Collection - Chive Ceramics Studio - Chive Ceramics Studio

For the Part You Cannot See

Katakana keeps the surface calm. Verte Rx keeps the roots fed, an indoor plant food that works on the color and structure a glaze can only frame. Shop plant food

Even Atlanta Botanical Appreciates a Tidy Phase

Designed by Chive Studio, Katakana is part of an in-house catalog that occasionally documents our passing obsessions, in this case a year of aggressive tidying. Our ceramics are carried by botanical garden shops and museum stores across North America, including the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The glaze came out of a minimalist phase, but the pot is held to the same standard as the work in those shops, because the studio runs one standard regardless of which mood produced the design.

We design everything we sell, keep it in independent stores and our own shops rather than big-box chains, and ship to more than forty countries. The tidiness did not last. The standard did, which is the difference between a phase and a practice, and Katakana, calm as it is, was made entirely within the second one. The phase ended; the way we make things did not.


Plant Tips from Chive Studio

Quick tips, straight answers, and the occasional reminder that overwatering kills more houseplants than neglect does.

Do Plant Pots Need Drainage Holes? Yes. Here’s Why

Todd Newgren
Plant pots need drainage holes — without one, water pools at the root zone and suffocates roots. Chive has made ceramic pots with drainage for over two decades, stocked at botan...
Read more

Top Indoor Plant Pots That Transform Your Home Decor

Lexi Bertolas
One might think that selecting a planter pot involves nothing more than finding a container that doesn't actively repel soil. But like choosing a roommate or a dermatologist, th...
Read more

Are Ceramic Pots Good for Plants?

Todd Newgren
Ceramic pots for plants outperform plastic on drainage, weight, and longevity — when they have a drainage hole. Chive has spent 25 years getting that detail right, and the pots ...
Read more

Frequently asked questions

What is the Katakana ceramic pot good for?

The Katakana is a ceramic pot for indoor plants. It works well for succulents, cacti, and other plants that like to dry out and suits modern, boho, and minimalist rooms. As a ceramic pot, the Katakana fits a shelf, sill, or desk and pairs cleanly with the rest of the Chive pot range. It comes in several colorways to match different rooms.

Does the Katakana pot have a drainage hole?

No, the Katakana is an indoor pot without a drainage hole, so it is best used with plants that tolerate less frequent watering or as a cachepot. Either plant succulents directly and water lightly, or drop a nursery pot inside and lift it out to water. Without a drainage hole, the trick is to add water slowly and avoid leaving any pooled at the bottom.

What plants grow well in the Katakana?

The Katakana is a ceramic pot that holds a nursery plant of a similar width, so match the grower pot to the opening rather than the mature size of the plant. Good choices include succulents, cacti, and other plants that like to dry out. For an indoor plant pot, size up by about an inch when you repot so roots have room without swimming in soil.

Does the Katakana come with a saucer?

The Katakana does not include a saucer, which suits its use as a decorative pot. If you plant directly in it, water lightly so nothing collects at the base, or set a nursery pot inside and lift it out to water over a sink. A small cork pad underneath protects furniture if you keep the Katakana on a shelf. As an indoor pot without a tray, it is forgiving as long as you water with a light hand.

Is the Katakana pot ceramic?

Yes, the Katakana is a ceramic plant pot. Ceramic is fired hard, holds glaze color well, and does not break down with watering the way untreated materials can, which makes ceramic plant pots a reliable choice for indoor plants. The Katakana is glazed to seal the surface, so it wipes clean and keeps its finish on a sill, shelf, or table.

How do I water a plant in the Katakana?

To water the Katakana, add small amounts and stop before anything pools at the bottom, since this pot has no drainage hole. The easiest method is to keep the plant in its nursery pot, lift it out to water over a sink, let it drain, and set it back. Watering a pot without drainage is mostly about restraint, less water, less often.

Is the Katakana good for succulents?

The Katakana is a good ceramic pot for succulents. Succulents like the tighter, fast-drying conditions of a pot without a drainage hole, as long as you water lightly. For anyone searching for a ceramic pot for succulents, the Katakana covers both looks and function. Match the nursery pot to the opening and the plant settles in without fuss.

Is the Katakana a good gift for a plant lover?

The Katakana makes a practical gift for a plant lover because it is a finished ceramic pot that solves a real problem rather than adding clutter. It pairs easily with a plant they already own and suits most modern interiors. For a plant pot gift that gets used, the Katakana is an easy choice, and it suits anyone building an indoor plant collection.

Shido Vegetable and Flower Seeds Vacuum sealed for peak freshness

The pot is sorted. Now what goes in it?

Shido seeds come vacuum-sealed, non-GMO, and packaged well enough that people keep the packets after the seeds are gone. Which is either a design success or a problem, depending on how you look at it.

Your new pot is waiting.