potbound
8.9
A plant that grows too big for its pot so its roots become tangled
- adjective
- /ˈpɑtˌbaʊnd/
- Specialized
:
atrapado en la maceta
- This plant is potbound, meaning its roots have filled the pot completely and are starting to grow around each other.
Examples
-
If you leave a potted fern potbound for too long, it may stop growing and become unhealthy.
-
l thought it would be potbound after all these years, but it got out!
-
To keep your tropical plant thriving, make sure it doesn't become potbound by repotting it yearly.
Synonyms
8.4
A plant with underground parts tightly tangled and crowding its pot because it grows too big for it
is the same meaning but uses an alternative term
How Root-Bound
potbound
- Specialized
rootbound
- Specialized
Surface Forms
potbound positive
Morphology
Etymology
Potbound comes from pot + bound, where bound means 'tied' or 'held'. So a potbound plant has roots that are 'held' or matted inside a pot that is too small and needs more space.
