Nursery container sizes explained: from 4-inch pots to 25-gallon specimens
What "#3", "3 gal", "B&B" and "TC" mean on a nursery listing, and how to compare prices across sizes.
Nursery "gallon" sizes are trade classes rather than exact volumes: a #3 or 3-gallon container holds a little less than three liquid gallons. Height and trunk caliper matter as much as pot size, especially for trees.
Common sizes
- Plugs / liners / TC — young plants, often tissue culture (TC) for aroids.
- 4–6 inch pots — houseplants and small starters.
- 1, 3 and 7 gallon — the most common shrub and young tree sizes.
- 15–45 gallon — established trees for faster impact.
- B&B — balled and burlapped field-grown trees.
Comparing listings
Use the size filter in search, and check each listing's notes for height, grafted vs. seedling, and the date the nursery last confirmed availability.
