Tapered, flared and cylindrical pots
Corten steel pots
DaphneA Corten steel pot is no mere container: it is the first thing you see of a planting, and often the last thing you replace. Cortenys draws four silhouettes, all in 2 mm Corten steel. Calypso takes up the tapered profile of the timeless flower pot; Daphne, a flared square pot, carries the planting up high; Callisto raises greenery in a cylindrical drum without a single edge; Clio, a taut cone without a rim, runs from base to neck in one continuous line. Designed in France, crafted in Europe by a partner manufacturer and made to order, they arrive dressed in the Cortenys signature patina, applied in the workshop, ready for planting. This is what the Corten plant pot becomes when it is designed to last: a sculpture for living things.
Two silhouettes for an entrance
Calypso takes up the tapered profile of the timeless flower pot; Daphne, a flared square pot, carries the planting up high. Both in 2 mm Corten steel.
Our selection of Corten steel pots
Discover pieces designed to live outdoors beautifully for years.
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Advice and design: Corten steel pots
Four Corten steel pot silhouettes
Calypso, a round tapered pot with a wide rim, offers a form everyone recognises in twelve sizes, from 600 to 1000 mm in diameter and from 400 to 1000 mm in height. Daphne, a flared square pot, wider at the neck than at the base, rises in a slender silhouette in four sizes, up to 1200 mm tall. Callisto, a cylindrical round pot, offers the widest choice in the family: from 350 to 1400 mm in diameter, from 400 to 1000 mm in height. Clio, a slim-profiled round pot, draws a smooth cone with no rim and no break in the line, in thirteen formats up to a 1000 mm opening. All four are crafted from 2 mm Corten steel, which gives them their strength and their bearing.
On the rooftops, the cylinder and the cone
Callisto, a round Corten steel pot, holds an olive tree; Clio, a taut cone without a rim, lets grasses spill over its edge.
Composing with Corten steel pots
A single Corten pot becomes a centrepiece: an olive tree in a large Callisto at the heart of a roof terrace, a clipped box in a Daphne against a balustrade. Two identical pots on either side of a door frame the entrance, like the pair of Calypso pots at a hotel threshold. Three heights of the same model, grouped near a flight of steps, form a living ensemble. The round form softens very straight architecture; the flared square underlines it. Then let the planting decide the volume: a tree calls for a large diameter and a good depth of soil, while grasses or seasonal flowers are happy in lower formats.
Weight, drainage and floors: placing a Corten steel pot
Filled with damp soil, a large pot is heavy: on a balcony or a roof terrace, check the load the surface can bear before choosing the format. At the bottom, lay a drainage layer of clay pebbles or gravel covered with a geotextile membrane, then the growing medium, and check the drainage outlets on the model’s product page. On a pale floor, raise the pot on spacers or choose the Cortenys protective varnish, offered as an option: it fixes the patina and limits rust transfer. A bed of gravel at the foot of the pot does the rest.
Corten pots crafted as collector’s pieces
Taking on a form as familiar as the flower pot means inviting judgement on every detail: the rightness of a flare, the bearing of a rim, the evenness of a curve. The House crafts its Corten steel pots to order, then dresses them in the workshop in the Cortenys signature patina, inspected before dispatch: earth, sienna, amber, and nuances specific to each piece. Allow 2 to 5 weeks for a model from the Classics; every pot is guaranteed for two years. Daphne, Callisto and Clio also exist in powder-coated aluminium, in a RAL colour, for projects that call for a bold colour.
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Corten steel pots: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pot and a Corten steel planter?
A pot is a vertical volume, often round or flared, set alone, in pairs or in groups: it showcases a single plant. A planter, longer, edges a terrace, accompanies a hedge or separates two spaces. Our Corten steel planters, with or without a base, have their own page; the Calypso, Daphne, Callisto and Clio pots are gathered here.
What size of Corten steel pot should you choose?
Start with the plant and its mature size. For a tree or a large shrub, favour a diameter of 800 mm or more and a height of 800 to 1000 mm; for seasonal flowers or grasses, a lower format is enough. Callisto ranges from 350 to 1400 mm in diameter, Calypso from 600 to 1000 mm, Clio up to a 1000 mm opening, and Daphne up to 1200 mm in height.
Is a Corten steel pot suitable for a terrace or a balcony?
Yes, provided you take into account its weight once filled and protect the floor. Check the load capacity of the surface, raise the pot on spacers if the floor is pale, or choose the Cortenys protective varnish, which limits rust transfer.
How do you ensure good drainage in a Corten steel pot?
A pot must let excess water escape. Lay a drainage layer at the bottom, clay pebbles or gravel, cover it with a geotextile membrane, then add the growing medium. Check the drainage outlets on the model’s product page and, on a terrace, direct the run-off so as to protect the surface.
Will a Corten steel pot stain the floor?
During the first months, rain can carry orange run-off onto pale stone or porous concrete. Delivered already applied, the Cortenys signature patina greatly reduces it. On pale paving, the protective varnish, offered as an option, fixes the patina and prevents marks; a bed of gravel at the foot of the pot is another solution.
Are Cortenys pots delivered with plants?
No. Every Corten steel pot is delivered empty, patinated and ready for planting. The plants in our photographs simply show possible uses: an olive tree, a clipped box, grasses or seasonal flowers.
Are Cortenys pots available in aluminium?
Yes, Daphne, Callisto and Clio are also offered in powder-coated aluminium, in a RAL colour. Lighter, these versions carry the same design for architecture that calls for a bold colour. The Cortenys signature patina, however, remains reserved for pieces in Corten steel.
Can a Corten steel pot be used indoors?
Yes, with one rule that admits no exception at Cortenys: indoors, the protective varnish is mandatory, so that the patina marks neither floor nor walls. Tell us about the space before you order: the House will check the model, the finish and the drainage with you.
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