Choosing the Right Cardboard Box Size for Artificial Trees and Plants
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Pick the box from two measurements: the packed length of the plant (tallest point to pot base, with branches folded in) plus 3 to 5cm, and the widest rigid part, which is usually the pot. We stock six long boxes, from 16 × 16 × 44cm up to 165 × 22.5 × 22.5cm. They cover everything in our range up to about 160cm packed length; taller trees need a pallet or a carton sourced elsewhere. Orders that contain packaging boxes ship only on orders over £500, palletised and flat-packed.
Our six box sizes and what fits each
All six are long, square-section cartons designed for plants that are much taller than they are wide. The table matches each one to a product height band in our range, with a real example. The "suits" column assumes 3 to 5cm of clearance at each end of the length and a pot that fits the cross-section with room for a wrap. For the full packaging range with live stock, and guidance on which box goes with which product type, see our packaging boxes guide for plant retailers.
| Box (listed size) | Suits packed length up to | Largest pot that fits | Example from our range | Length + girth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 × 16 × 44cm | About 40cm | About 13cm diameter | 35cm trailing green pothos in an 11cm pot | 108cm |
| 16 × 16 × 65cm | About 60cm | About 13cm diameter | 60cm lemongrass grass plant in a 12.5cm pot | 129cm |
| 16 × 16 × 86cm | About 82cm | About 13cm; best for bare stems | 75cm trailing round-leaf foliage stem | 150cm |
| 19 × 19 × 100cm | About 95cm | 16cm diameter | 90cm large green ficus in a 16 × 13cm pot | 176cm |
| Wide 120 × 30 × 30cm | About 115cm | Up to about 26cm | 110cm large bushy ficus, 60cm wide canopy | 240cm |
| 165 × 22.5 × 22.5cm | About 160cm | About 19cm diameter | 150cm green Japanese maple in an 18 × 14cm pot | 255cm |
Length + girth is the box length plus twice the sum of its width and depth, the figure most parcel carriers use to set size bands. Box sizes are as listed on each product page; measure one box before you plan a tight fit, because board thickness takes a little off the inside.
Measuring packed length and the rigid width
The height on a product page is the plant as displayed, with branches spread. That is not always the packed length, and the difference matters most for trees with a stiff central trunk.
- Packed length: stand the plant up, fold the outer branches gently towards the trunk and measure from the base of the pot to the highest point that will not fold. On most potted plants this equals the listed height. On trailing and bare-stem lines it can be shorter, because the stem can bend in a gentle curve.
- Rigid width: measure the widest part that cannot compress. On potted lines this is the pot, which is given on every product page (for example "16cm (d) x 13cm (h) approx."). Foliage flexes; a pot does not.
- Clearance: add 3 to 5cm to the packed length for end protection, and allow about 1.5 to 3cm around the pot for a wrap or a collar of void fill.
Our product heights and widths are in the product data on every page, and the gated resource library gives resellers the product details and a stock and price feed, which makes it easy to pre-assign a box size to every SKU you list online.
The 16cm boxes: stems, small pots and the pot-diameter trap
The three 16 × 16cm boxes (44, 65 and 86cm long) are the right choice for bare stems, trailing plants and small potted plants in pots up to about 13cm across. They are where most packing mistakes happen, for one reason: many of our potted plants between 80 and 120cm come in a 16cm-diameter nursery pot, and a 16cm pot will not go into a 16cm box with any protection at all.
- Bare stems (flower stems and foliage stems, sold individually): match the stem length to the box length and pack several stems per box, heads staggered end to end so the flowers do not crush each other.
- Small potted plants up to about 60cm in 10 to 12.5cm pots: the 44cm and 65cm boxes, depending on height.
- Plants in 16cm pots: go up to the 19 × 19cm box or the wide 120cm box, even if the length would fit a 16cm box.
Before you box a line, check two numbers on the product page: height and pot diameter. If the pot is within 3cm of the box cross-section, step up a size.
The 100cm, wide 120cm and 165cm boxes for trees
These three do the heavy lifting for resellers who ship trees to end customers.
19 × 19 × 100cm
For 80 to 95cm trees and plants in pots up to 16cm, and for long bare stems up to about 95cm. The 19cm section gives just enough room for a 16cm pot in a thin wrap, so it suits the many 90cm lines supplied in 16 × 13cm pots.
Wide 120 × 30 × 30cm
The only wide box in the range. Use it when the pot or the canopy is too wide for a narrow box: bushy trees from about 100 to 115cm, trees supplied with a separate 20cm metal planter that you want to ship in the same carton, and multi-plant orders. It is not a 150cm-tree box. A 120cm listed tree has no clearance left in a 120cm box.
165 × 22.5 × 22.5cm
For trees from about 130 to 160cm in pots up to about 19cm across, which covers many of our 150cm lines in 18 × 14cm pots. Watch the heavier 150cm trees that arrive in 22 × 18cm pots: a 22cm pot will not go into a 22.5cm section with protection, so those need a pallet or a larger carton. Our guide to long cardboard boxes for tall artificial trees covers this box and 150cm-plus trees in more detail.
We do not stock a box for trees of 180cm and above. Those are usually better delivered on a pallet or by a two-person service.
Courier limits: length, girth and volumetric weight
Carriers price long parcels on three things, and a box that is a size too big can move a parcel into a dearer band.
- Maximum length. Standard parcel services cap the longest side. Check your carrier's limit against 120cm and 165cm before you list tall plants for home delivery.
- Length + girth. The figures in the table above run from 108cm to 255cm. Many services set their standard-size cut-off somewhere in that range, so the two longest boxes are the ones to check.
- Volumetric weight. Carriers charge the greater of actual and volumetric weight. As an illustration, at a common divisor of 5,000, the 165cm box works out at about 16.7kg volumetric and the wide 120cm box at about 21.6kg, although the plant inside may weigh a few kilos. The 19 × 19 × 100cm box is about 7.2kg and the 16 × 16 × 65cm box about 3.3kg. Your carrier's divisor may differ.
The practical point: use the narrowest box the pot allows. The wide 120cm box has the larger volumetric weight of the two tree boxes despite being shorter.
Ordering boxes: the £500 rule
Our terms treat packaging boxes differently from plants. Orders that contain packaging boxes ship only on orders over £500, and they are sent flat-packed on a pallet. The general £150 ex VAT minimum order applies to orders without boxes. In practice, most resellers add boxes to a stock order rather than ordering them alone.
For board, void fill and how to immobilise a plant inside the carton, see how to package artificial plants for safe e-commerce shipping. For materials and the wider packaging picture, see our wholesale packaging guide to cardboard boxes for shipping plants, and for ordering questions, the packaging boxes FAQ for online plant retailers.
Frequently asked questions
Are the listed box sizes internal or external?
They are external dimensions. Board thickness means the usable inside is slightly smaller than the outside, so plan on losing a little in each direction and measure one box before committing a tight-fitting SKU to it.
Can I ship two plants in one long box?
Yes, for small plants and stems. Two 35cm plants in 11cm pots will not fit side by side in a 16cm section, but they will fit end to end in the 86cm box with a divider between them. For trees, one per box is safer.
Which box for a tree supplied with a metal planter?
Our included metal planters are 20 to 22cm wide, so the tree and its planter together need the wide 120 × 30 × 30cm box, or ship the planter separately in a small carton you source locally.
What board grade are the boxes?
The product pages list dimensions only. If board grade, print or quantity per bundle matters to your operation, contact us before you order and we will confirm the detail.
What should I use for a 180cm tree?
None of our six boxes is long enough. Most resellers send trees of this size on a pallet or by a two-person carrier, which also avoids the parcel length limits.
Choose your boxes and order
Match each SKU to a size using the table above, then see all six boxes with live stock in the packaging boxes guide or the packaging boxes collection. Browse the plants that ship in them in our artificial trees and small wholesale plants collections. If you sell online, our trade toolkit for selling artificial plants online brings together the resource library, product data and packaging. Register online, log in to see trade prices. Delivery terms are on our ordering and delivery page.
