Adding plants to your space can bring personality and style to any room. If the thought of one more living thing to look after makes you cringe, relax! Here's where to find faux plant decor!
Faux plants can look just as lifelike as the real thing, without any of the upkeep. Here's everything you need to know about where to buy fake plants and what to do with them.
Decorating your home should be fun. One of the simplest ways to make a house feel like a home is adding accessories to your space. My current favorite? Greenery!
That said, even though I can keep a plant alive, I don't have time for more than a few right now. To be honest, as my kids get older, I keep adding more real plants to my collection, and it makes me happy.
So if you're in a season of life where you can't imagine keeping one more thing alive or adding one more task to your list, that's where faux plants come in!
Faux plants look so convincing that I often can't tell the difference! That's why I wanted to share where to buy the best ones, since they can make a BIG difference to the look of your home or office.
I've decorated with live plants before and ended up frustrated for many reasons, and I don't want you to go through something similar. There is definitely a place for real plants, but for decorating, artificial is often the better choice unless you are a natural gardener!
I've rounded up the best places to shop for faux plants online, including Nearly Natural, Target and Pottery Barn!
Where to Buy Fake Plants Online
1. Amazon
You'd be amazed at how many gorgeous faux plants you can find on Amazon. You can order at the last minute and usually get them delivered within a couple of days.
What to Buy: These jasper and cypress topiary balls are perfect for a front porch planter! My boxwood tower topiaries have also lasted for years. (Nobody can tell they aren't real!)
2. Target
I love buying fake plants at Target because they always stock a great range of stylish items. They also almost always come in the cutest containers. This is where I found my fiddle leaf fig, which everyone thinks is real!
What to Buy: Smaller houseplants like this faux fern are great for filling a space without breaking the bank. My all-time favorite, the fiddle leaf fig, is a real winner!
3. Pottery Barn
If you want top-of-the-line plants with excellent quality, look at Pottery Barn. It's one of the best places to buy fake plants. I love nearly everything they sell!
What to Buy: I especially love my Faux Wandering Variegated Tradescantia! This lemon tree is gorgeous too! My faux orchid arrangement wasn't cheap, but it's such a beautiful piece. I'm so glad I have it!
SHOP THE PLANTS
4. Nearly Natural
Nearly Natural has the best selection of faux trees and houseplants. I haven't bought from them personally, but people I know have and love them! This triple ball boxwood topiary is huge and a fantastic price for its size!
They may not be the cheapest plants, but they look the most lifelike!
What to Buy: Fittonia Hanging Plant (Set of 2), Large Boston Fern or Olive Tree.
5. Afloral
If you want realistic faux stems, look no further than Afloral. They also carry everyone's favorite holiday touch, evergreen garland.
What to Buy: Pampas grass stems, a large and gorgeous trailing pothos plant or pink cherry blossom stems.
6. Ballard Designs
You might not think of Ballard Designs as the go-to place for plants, but their preserved boxwood topiaries, seasonal stems and faux arrangements are beautiful. (I know my boxwood topiaries are preserved real plants, but I file them under faux because you never have to water them.)
What to Buy: Dogwood stems and boxwood planter fillers
7. West Elm
For luxurious and realistic faux plants, West Elm is a lovely option. It sits a little higher on the price scale, but you'll find a large selection of beautiful, lifelike fake plants.
What to Buy: Faux Potted Donkey Tail Plant and
8. Wayfair
Wayfair always has such cute fake plants and accessories for your home and office. Plus, you can find everything you need to decorate your entire home, from furniture to rugs and more.
What to Buy: Faux Eucalyptus Plant in Ceramic Pot and Artificial Monstera Plant
What To Look For When You Buy Faux Plants
When you're hunting for faux plants, there are a few things to keep in mind. You can't just stroll into your local dollar store, grab a few fake plants and expect your home to look like a million bucks.
Quality
Look closely at the quality of the faux plants. Artificial and dried florals should look realistic and inviting. They should closely resemble a real plant, or else they'll stick out like a sore thumb.
You want fake plant decor so lifelike that people want to touch it and ask whether it's real. That's a sign you chose well. You'll likely spend more on good-quality fake plants, but it's well worth it.
Beware: cheap fake plants sometimes carry an odd plastic chemical smell that you just can't hide.
Fit Your Space
Choose plants that will comfortably fit your space. Think about which room you're shopping for and how big a plant you need. If it's going on the floor, it needs to be much larger than one sitting on a small kitchen shelf.
Fake Plants vs. Real
Artificial and real plants each have plenty of pros and cons. I tend to reach for a faux plant whenever there's a quality option, but it's on my list of goals to get some real plants and learn how to care for them.
But consider this: you never have to water fake plants, feed them or repot them when they outgrow their pot. Plus, you don't have to worry about where you place them in your home.
Real plants need just the right amount of sunlight to grow and thrive. Say you have a dim den with little natural light. Not many real plants will do well in there. But if you gather some fake plants, you can put them anywhere you like without any worries.
Many real plants also need different care depending on the season. With the best faux plants, you can set them up and leave them as long as you like, with no need to move them to a cool, dark basement for winter or to prune them.
How To Decorate With Fake Plants
Use faux plants to hide unsightly items and areas of your home. Maybe there's an odd spot on your floor that can't be repaired. You can place a large potted fake plant over it to conceal it. Or if you have electrical cords you'd rather not show, put a plant there to draw the eye away.
Try to make the plant look as authentic as possible. If you place it in front of a window, bend the leaves and stems toward the light, just as a real plant would grow. Nobody will think twice, because that's what plants naturally do.
Use pretty baskets and flower pots for your fake plants. They'll make lovely focal points and add an extra pop of color to your room. If you also have a few live plants, group them together so they complement each other.
Mix different styles and textures of plants to add even more character to your space.
Three Ways to Style Plants
On a Bookshelf
Nothing brings a bookshelf to life quite like indoor greenery! I like to tuck faux greenery in between my books and other decor, so I never have to remember to water it!
In a Window Sill or Counter Ledge
If you'd rather not worry about keeping a plant alive but still want it to look real, set it on a window sill! I keep real plants behind my sink, but faux would work just as well! (If you plan to test your green thumb, this would be a great place to start!)
On a Plant Stand
A plant stand is perfect for a small plant when you don't have room on a shelf or counter! Some of them can even double as a small table.
How To Clean Fake Plants
The only downside to fake plants is that you have to clean them. Don't worry, it's usually a simple task that doesn't take much effort. Here are a few ideas to help you:
- Use a paintbrush. You can quickly wipe off the leaves one at a time with a paintbrush. It doesn't take long, and a brush fits into tight spots.
- A microfiber cloth works well for wiping leaves. Dampen it slightly and gently wipe each leaf. The dust will cling to the cloth, and the plant will look new when you're done.
- Try your vacuum. If your vacuum has an attachment, remove it and use it to suck up dirt. It's a quick and easy method with a big impact. Just be careful not to suck up any part of the plant itself.
There you have it! Are you convinced you need a faux plant (or 12, no judging!) in your life?
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