Plant Pots with Drainage

Virago Medium 5" Porcelain Plant Pot

with drainage hole and saucer

$30.95
Colors: Black
Style
Drainage hole
Saucer Included
30-day return policy

Curate Your Indoor Landscape With These:

Designed to layer beautifully in any room. Choose a piece as your design anchor, then build your custom pottery collection with these complementary companions:

The Virago Medium is a matte 5-inch porcelain plant pot, the middle size in a line Chive built entirely in white out of spite, after years of watching every other color get ignored. The white sold immediately. People asked for more. That wasn't the lesson Chive was trying to teach, so other colors got added, and they remain, on some level, a test the room keeps failing.

At 5 inches tall, this is the shelf size, the one that fits a plant that has settled in without taking over. Chive has since expanded the line into eight geometric styles and six dense matte colors. The spite remains. Porcelain at this scale is overkill, fired hard and dense so the matte finish resists chipping for years. The center drainage hole and detachable saucer keep the shelf dry. It suits a pothos, a peperomia, or a young fern, the pot they grow into before anyone has to bring up the Large. Buy a color if you want. You'll buy white.

Product detail
  • Color: Black, Blue Grey, Olive, Soft Pink, Clay Terracotta, White
  • Material: Porcelain
  • Glaze finish: Matte/Textured Porcelain
  • Finish variation: Natural variation between pieces
  • Drainage: Included
  • Saucer: Matching saucer included
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes
  • Indoor / Outdoor: For indoor use and covered outdoor temperate weather use
  • Designed by: Chive Studio
  • Year Designed: 2017
Dimension
  • Diameter: 5 inches
  • Height: 5 inches
  • Fits most standard 4" nursery transplants
  • Saucer diameter: approximately 5.5 inches
  • Weight: approximately 1.6 lbs (pot + saucer)
Plants that love this pot

pothos

peperomia

small snake plants

prayer plant

nerve plant

spider plant

hoya

calathea

Potting Tips

  1. Repot in the evening.
  2. Wait 1–2 days after watering, then repot.
  3. Buy potting mix. Not backyard dirt.
  4. Move the top layer of soil from the old pot into the new one. It's a little ecosystem.
  5. Never go more than one inch bigger.
  6. Soil line sits an inch below the rim. Leca or small rocks at the bottom for drainage.

Which pot size for my plant? →

Full Repotting guide →
Pot Care instructions
  1. Dishwasher-safe. Can also be hand-washed with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.
  2. Glazed pots are dipped and fired in the kiln — they are 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 days Express2–3 business days (at checkout)
  • International Ships: to 40 countries — rates at checkout
  • Packaging Ships: in outer box to protect gift box

View full shipping policy →

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.

View full return policy →
Wholesale Inquires

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Chive Wholesale →
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Customers are saying

4.89 ★ (4499)
Verified

A 5-Inch Porcelain Pot That Is, Frankly, Overbuilt

The Virago Medium is a 5-inch porcelain plant pot, and it exists because the smaller one did extremely well in white, which was never the lesson we set out to teach. For years every color but white sat untouched. So we made the line in white out of spite, the white sold first, and people asked for more. We added other colors anyway. We are, on some level, still waiting for the room to notice them.

Five inches is the shelf size: big enough for a plant that has settled in, small enough that it has not yet claimed territory. Porcelain at this scale is a lot, and a lot is exactly the amount we were going for. It fires hard and dense, keeps a matte texture that took an unreasonable number of attempts to get right, and does not chip the way ordinary ceramic does.

The center drainage hole sits where it belongs and the detachable saucer keeps the shelf dry. A 5-inch pot holds more soil than a 3.5-inch, which forgives a heavier hand with the watering can, though only just. This is the pot a plant grows into before anyone has to have a conversation about the Large. Five inches is also the size people buy second, once the first Virago has done its quiet work and the next plant needs somewhere to go. We have watched this happen enough times to consider it a pattern rather than a coincidence.

Potting a plant with Chive

  1. It's best to repot your plant in the evening. Trust us, we know.
  2. Repot 1–2 days after watering — keeps the same rhythm going and won't shock it.
  3. Potting soil is not the dirt from your backyard. Go buy good, nutrient-rich soil.
  4. The top layer of soil in your current pot should be the top layer in the new pot too. It's a little ecosystem your plant likes.
  5. Never go more than one inch bigger than your existing pot. "It'll grow into it" is not correct, and you will kill it.
  6. Keep the soil line about an inch below the top of the pot. Add some leca or small rocks to the bottom for better aeration.
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.

Read the guide we wish we had
Virago 3.5" Porcelain Pot With Drainage Hole And Saucer - Chive Ceramics Studio - Pots - Chive Ceramics Studio

The Rest of the Virago Family

The Virago Medium belongs to a set, each one keeping the look and changing only the proportions so a room can match without repeating itself.

Shop the Virago Small 3.5"

Shop the Virago Large

Pots with drainage by chive studio

Indoor Plant Pots That Drain Properly

If the Virago Medium works, the rest of the plant pot collection will too, all of it held to the same finish and the same fit.

Shop the Ryan Self-Watering Pot

Shop all pots with drainage

Verte Rx Cactus Plant Food 2 - 7 - 7 - Chive Ceramics Studio - Chive Ceramics Studio

For the Part You Cannot See

A good pot cannot feed a plant, but Verte Rx can, the indoor plant food that handles roots and leaf color while the Virago Medium handles everything you can see.

Shop plant food

Pots with drainage by chive studio

Longwood Gardens Did Not Ask How It Was Made

Chive Studio has made pots and ceramic flowers for over two decades. Every pot starts as a sketch and an argument, because we cannot make something we do not mean, which is a fine principle and a slow way to fill a catalog. The shapes are decided in the studio, tested against actual plants, and revised until the proportions stop bothering us, which routinely takes longer than anyone budgeted for.

Botanical institutions keep choosing the work, and the only explanation we have is that the people running their shops can tell at a glance whether an object is what it claims to be. Longwood Gardens carries Chive. So do Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Huntington. We exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show since 2013, twice receiving the 5-star booth award — only two are given each year. We ship to over 40 countries and have never licensed a design to anyone else to manufacture.

About Our Story

Plant Tips from Chive Studio

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

Non Toxic Plants for Cats: The Complete Guide

— Ryan Hearst
Spider plants, hoyas, and Boston ferns are non-toxic to cats and work well as houseplants. Chive's ceramic wall flowers — stocked in the Getty Museum and over 200 galleries — ar...
Read more

How to Repot a Plant: Watch for the Linen

— Todd Newgren
How to repot a plant comes down to three signs, one rule, and one soil decision that most people get wrong. Chive Studio has been making plant pots with drainage since 2004. The...
Read more
  • 5 stars: 37 (100%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.
S
Sandy George
Stylish

I have switched out all my plant pots to Chive drainage pots. Needless to say my plants are very stylish. Amazing customer service and always packaged so well. I live on the west coast of Vancouver Island. A long journey for my pots. Thank you so much. I will always support this shop.

Sandy George review photo Sandy George review photo Sandy George review photo Sandy George review photo Sandy George review photo
S
S. Bertelsen
Porcelain Pot was executed style

The Virago small Porcelain Pot was executed with style

D
Doreen Richardson
Beautiful color and design

Love this pot. My Hoya Clemensiorum Jurassic looks quite proud!

A
Anonymous
Beautiful Pot

I love the pot. My Chinese evergreen looks great in it. I like that the finish on the exterior is matte, while the interior is glossy. Very modern style. Love it.

S
Sandra G.
Great little pot.

Love how these look. So cute and shiny and pretty colors.

C
Customer
House Plant

Perfect size for an indoor house plant and great for small spaces.

E
Esther

Tiny but cute. The matte olive colour is great.

D
Denise Veggerby
Beautiful Plant Pot!

I love the design on this pot and the clean lines. Very uncluttered looking!

H
Heather McDonald Gaillot
Gorgeous as always!

Quick shipping. One broke despite good packing but they’ve already replaced it. Thank you.

G
Gayle Hobbs
Great quality

I have three of these porcelain pots, they’re high quality and very attractive. They hold my succulents! Beautiful. Will use Chive for future pottery needs, unique and well made.

j
jeff sines

My dream pot

L
Leanne Michels
Love these!!

I would buy a ton and replant every plant I have if I could afford it ..so classic. Beautiful.

L
Lisa Stock
Beautiful planter

Love my new planter and very happy with it. I wish it wasn’t so expensive

R
Renee Witherwax
Love love love

Love love love. Cute and contemporarily stylish!

A
Andy Pritchard
Excellent succulent pots!

They're just the right size for smaller succulents like haworthias and the matte black is really quite pretty. With a gravel top dressing your plants will really shine.

A
Andy Pritchard
Excellent succulent pots!

They're just the right size for smaller succulents like haworthias and the matte black is really quite pretty. With a gravel top dressing your plants will really shine.

R
Renee Witherwax
Chive Pots Are The Best!

I am in love with every pot I’ve ever ordered from Chive! I need to buy more plants to go with all the pots I want!! :)

l
laura mcdowell
Best ever

Gorgeous planter pot! High quality, great packing, fav planter ever!

D
Diane Capozzi
Adorable

We already purchased one from a store in Marblehead, Ma. We knew we needed a match. They are so perfect & fit our other floral decor. The colors available are beautiful.

J
Janet Shaffstall
Beautiful pot

This pot is just beautiful. Received my order quickly. Unfortunately, during shipment the saucer was broken on 2 of the pots. Message sent to Chive and I received the sweetest note from them with instructions that they will quickly send replacement saucers. Great company with excellent customer service.

R
Rachel Gonzalez
Love Chive planters!!

I have a bunch of planters from Chive and not one has ever disappointed me. All amazing quality and my plants couldn’t be happier 🌸🌿

I
Irisheyes75
Prettiest Pots Out There

Gorgeous planters at a great price. Bonus that Chive’s customer service is the best - friendly, responsive, knowledgeable, and efficient! I get compliments on these pots all the time and am 100% satisfied! Highly recommend!

M
Maggie Daly
Better than expected

For the price these planters are so chic. I absolutely love them for all my seasonal herbs!

M
Maggie Daly
Better than expected

For the price these planters are so chic. I absolutely love them for all my seasonal herbs!

G
George P
Chic pots

Clean and modern pots that would blend with any decor.

D
Deborah Dettling
Lovely modern planters..

We love our two planters we purchased from Chive! Beautiful, modern and reasonably priced. Will buy from your site again!

D
Deborah Dettling
Lovely modern planters..

We love our two planters we purchased from Chive! Beautiful, modern and reasonably priced. Will buy from your site again!

C
Cindi Stern
Virago 5”

I bought 3 of these in different patterns. They are beautiful and I love them!

D
Denise Veggerby
Beautiful Pot!

I am so happy with this beautiful pot. My plant looks stunning in it! My only wish is that Chive would make this in a larger size. All the pots that I have purchased from Chive are beautiful..the only place I buy house plant pots!

C
Christa Kline

I just love the soft look of this pottery!

C
C Rachel Kelton
Perfect vessel for a clean modern look + healthy plants!

Porous, drainage whole and a saucers!! I recently purchased 4 planters from your site and absolutely love them. Succulents need to be in porous planters but I really didn't like the look of terra cotta. I wanted something dressy with clean lines. Big Virago is exactly what I was looking for! My plants are so happy and I get to enjoy the foliage and the beautiful vessel they grow in. Would love to purchase larger sizes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Virago porcelain pot good for?

The Virago is a porcelain pot for indoor plants. It works well for pothos, snake plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, and small ferns and suits modern, boho, and minimalist rooms. As a 5 inch porcelain pot, the Virago 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.

Is the Virago a plant pot with a drainage hole and saucer?

Yes, the Virago is a porcelain plant pot with a drainage hole and a matching saucer. The drainage hole lets excess water escape so roots are not left sitting in water, which is the most common cause of root rot indoors. Water until you see a little drain into the saucer, then empty it. For a porcelain pot with drainage, the Virago keeps watering simple.

What size plant fits the Virago 5 inch?

The Virago 5 inch is a porcelain 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 pothos, snake plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, and small ferns. For a 5 inch indoor plant pot, size up by about an inch when you repot so roots have room without swimming in soil.

Is the saucer included with the Virago pot?

Yes, the Virago ships with a matching porcelain saucer, so it arrives as a complete pot and saucer set. The saucer catches water that drains through and protects shelves and sills from rings and moisture. Both pieces are finished to match, which is why the Virago reads as one considered object rather than a pot with a random tray underneath.

Are porcelain plant pots good for indoor plants?

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

How do I care for plants in the Virago pot?

To water the Virago, add water until a little runs into the saucer, then tip out what collects so roots are not left standing in it. Because this porcelain pot has a drainage hole, you can water thoroughly and let the excess go, which encourages even root growth. Check the top inch of soil before watering again rather than watering on a fixed schedule.

Is the Virago a good porcelain pot for snake plants?

The Virago is a good porcelain pot for snake plants. It drains freely, so the roots get water and air in the right balance. For anyone searching for a porcelain pot for snake plants, the Virago covers both looks and function. Match the nursery pot to the opening and the plant settles in without fuss.

Does the Virago work as a housewarming gift?

The Virago makes a practical gift for a plant lover because it is a finished porcelain pot that solves a real problem rather than adding clutter. It arrives as a pot and saucer set and suits most modern interiors. For a plant pot gift that gets used, the Virago 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.

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