The Best Faux Plants

The Best Faux House PlantsFor those of you with black thumbs, who swear you can’t keep plants alive… this post is for you! You don’t have to live your entire life without greenery or the beautiful sculptural element plants have to offer. I’ve carefully examined and compiled the best (yep!! I’m going there) faux plants- that actually make the cut and look & feel realistic. Some of them even had me second guessing which was real and which was faux.  

First things first- I love gardening and taking care of my house plants, so I only have one or two faux leaves… but these would be perfect for those with minimal time to care for plants, low light situations, or just bad luck. I totally understand the difficulty of traveling often and the struggle to keep plants alive. Sometimes it really can be a challenge. The only reason I would recommend a faux alternative is because technology and design have come a longgggg way. These aren’t the silk, tacky flowers your grandma or even mother used to display. From texture, color, scale, and even reflective qualities, the following are faux plants I would actually recommend… the next best option to the real thing.

The Best Faux Plants01: kentia palm tree // 02: succulent planter // 03: philodendron hanging plant // 04: preserved boxwood wreath // 05: potted aloe // 06: fiddle leaf fig // 07: tillandsia air plant // 08: potted snake plant // 09: forty inch lotus leaf // 10: thirty-three inch lotus leaf // 11: fern branch // 12: potted banana tree // 13: potted philodendron // 14: staghorn fern // 15: grass bunch // 16: maguey stem // 17: monstera leaf // 18: potted fern // 19: bird of paradise floor planter // 20: magnolia stem

A good rule of thumb is to source a plant that already has plastic-y looking leaves, or a waxy texture. They’re most easily replicated and look more convincing. Luckily, those types of plants are really trendy right now. Another easy, maintenance-free plant to look for is of the preserved variety. You often times see boxwood wreaths or preserved branches- these are really the best of both worlds. The only maintenance required for faux houseplants is dusting. I think you can handle that, right?!

The Best Faux Plants and LeavesWould you believe me if I told you the above leaves are faux? Well, they are! Obviously, these aren’t the real thing… so there will be some differences, but overall- I think they’re pretty convincing. Would you ever go faux? I love taking care of my houseplants too much, but if I had a black thumb- I wouldn’t be willing to give up hints of green throughout my house! For more plant & gardening posts, click here.

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12 Comments

  1. I love this post. Thank you. Faux IS so practical for the reasons you mention above. I once was buying some faux succulents at target and they looked so real that someone stopped me and asked where I found the live plants as she needed some for her daughter’s school project!

    1. Really glad you liked this one! I debated posting about it because I know it’s a controversial decor topic… but I have a couple stems in my house and I know some people can’t have live plants, so I thought it’d be helpful. I’ll have to check Target and add a few the roundup. Thanks!! xo

  2. Christiane says:

    Do you have any tips for care of boxwood wreaths? I put two on my double front door at the beginning of summer. They looked great until about two weeks ago, when we had rain for what seemed like a week straight. Now they look saggy and dirty. I tried lightly dusting with a towel and had no luck. If I apply more pressure the boxwood branches fall from the wreath. I don’t think soaking them is an option, is it?

    1. I feel like they don’t do well in the wet weather… I know some people bring them inside during rain. The humidity here is definitely a challenge, too. I hate to say it, but they might be ruined. I think you should soak them because at this point- who knows?! Maybe gently shake them out and lay them in the sun to dry back out? Argh. Hope this helps! xo

  3. Ann Heltzel says:

    Faux plants are awesome. Succulents, aloe and fig trees always give places a great GREEN pick me up! But if you want to venture into the low, low care world. The Zee Zee plant lives in a classroom in the middle of our school. NO windows whatsoever. Air plants do pretty well too. It’s recommended to mist them but I’m too lazy to buy a mister. Once a week I take it to the faucet, swoosh it under the water once and pop it back into the little bowl I have it sitting on.

    1. I do love the ZZ plant- I have two… as well as air plants!

  4. Ann Heltzel says:

    Oh, and another reason to go faux is what you buy is what you get. If you are looking for a particular size and fullness the plant will look the same forever. It won’t over grow it’s space!

    1. That is such a good point!!

  5. Allison Hasserd says:

    this is a great round up!! thanks for sharing this! i have a friend that cannot keep anything alive and i will definitely share this with her!!

    1. Yes!! Everyone can have plants! xo

  6. A great way to bring some exotic looks to your home decor, faux plants will spark imagination and bring beauty to the setting. very informative blog

  7. Thank you for this blog post, I have been looking at fake plants for a while because i am a plant killer (accidently of course) but i love greenery!
    I found this cute little place called http://www.hedgeyourself.com.au that sell fake vertical gardens and i was in heaven! of course as i am in Melbourne Aus it makes things easier. i was skeptical but this idea is so great!! never seen it before