Indigenus Planters

Headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, Indigenus designs and manufactures gorgeous and durable architectural planters for the interiors and exteriors of residential, hospitality, and corporate environments. The company was founded in 2014 by Peter van der Post, a committed design entrepreneur with a simple philosophy that planters should be extraordinary, intelligent, and enduring. Since the company’s inception, Van der Post – recognizing the potential of decorative luxury planters to elevate architectural spaces and landscapes – has grown the Indigenus brand’s product portfolio, collaborating with esteemed South Africa-based designers, artists, and architects who have a profound appreciation for the scenic quality of creative landscaping.

Indigenus’ luxurious South African-made planters are crafted by highly skilled artisans with great care and attention to detail. “Indigenus planters all have a close connection to the earth,” Van der Post says. “This is expressed through a stable and grounded design made with beautiful natural materials. Each planter has an underlying story of our relationship with the natural world.”

Well-versed in the practicalities of caring for plants – particularly for larger institutions – Indigenus designs its planters to be lightweight, allowing for stress-free transport and installation. All planters also come complete with removable inner linings and water reservoirs for practical plant care indoors or out.

Each Indigenus planter collection is available in multiple sizes, which can be used as a single presentation, a cluster, or a large-scale configuration, making them adaptable as to how and where they can be placed. For landscape designers, interior designers, and architects, Indigenus planters serve as accessories to increase a thoughtful yet interactive experience while people maneuver in and around when enjoying an outdoor space.

Materials

Indigenus uses only natural, environmentally friendly materials. Its stone, for example, is made from glass-reinforced concrete, which is 20x stronger and, therefore, more durable than regular concrete. The surface is beautifully textured to create a warm, natural stone finish, then chemically sealed for protection. Likewise, its wooden planters are made from Iroko (African teak), a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified hard timber sourced from sustainably harvested suppliers. The dense, hard-wearing wood is high in natural resins and oils and has long been used for boatbuilding, flooring, and outdoor furniture.

Sourced from the offcuts of production in Portugal, the cork Indigenus uses is bonded under heat using the material’s natural resins. Cork is sustainably harvested every two years, but the harvesting does not destroy the tree, which means the material is eco-friendly.

All Indigenus planters come with liners that have been designed to hold plants in proportion to their size. The liners contain water reservoirs at the base into which the roots grow. Using the process of “capillary action,” the water is pushed up into the soil. The water levels can be measured using the cap gauge, and the liners have plugs that must be removed if the planter is exposed to rainfall.

Designers

Under the guidance of founder Peter van der Post, Indigenus’ designers develop remarkable and appealing decorative outdoor planters that allow for a deeper human connection with nature while acting as magnificent pieces of art in their own right. Indigenus collaborators include:

• South African designer Andile Dyalvane (Bhaca Collection), one of Africa’s most renowned ceramicists who has pieces showcased in permanent museum collections from Cape Town to Taipei
• Architects Greg Truen and Stefan Antoni of the Cape Town-based firm SAOTA (Steen Collection), which has completed buildings in an astounding 86 countries; the pair share a distinctive design vision that has shaped their partnership of 20 years
• Cape Town-based designer Laurie Wiid van Heerden (Soma and Terre Collections), known for his innovative use of cork in high-end product design and products that blend art and design
• Cape Town-based Haldane Martin (Tuber Collection), a prolific industrial designer specializing in furniture and interior design who seamlessly integrates indigenous craft, biomimicry, and sustainable production with modern technology

Projects

Indigenus planters grace the interiors and exteriors of private residences, luxury hotels, corporate headquarters, and public spaces worldwide. Partners include major hotel groups such as Accor, Jumeirah, Le Meridien, Fairmont, Radisson, Virgin, Westin, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Ritz-Carlton, plus the five-star One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius and Singita Kwitonda luxury safari lodge in Rwanda. They can also be found decorating the South African headquarters for brands such as Amazon, Discovery, Ernst & Young, Facebook, Google, and HSBC, plus U.S. headquarters for Starbucks and Tommy Bahama.

“Each planter has an underlying story of our relationship with the natural world.”