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While it’s easier than ever to buy live plants online, sometimes, despite our best intentions, those live plants become, well, dead plants. Artificial plants — fake plants, silk plants, faux foliage, or whatever you want to call them — offer a solution. They’ll never outgrow their pots, the leaves will never droop and turn yellow, and there’s no need to worry about watering or fertilizing. They’re also pet-safe and child-safe.
Like any living plant, artificial plants make a room feel vibrant and welcoming, and we doubt that anyone will know the difference once they’re displayed on a nice plant stand or positioned on a high shelf. We found some small options if you want to be subtle, like succulents and an agave plant — in general, plants that naturally have firm, waxy leaves make good faux foliage candidates, so succulents are a safe bet. We also found larger options for those unafraid to go all out, including a big statement ficus tree and a distinctive five-foot olive tree with adjustable branches. If you already have something in mind, use the table of contents above to jump around the assortment of realistic faux plants we’ve curated below.
Update on January 9, 2025: Added some new, realistic faux plants; updated prices and checked stock for all other products.
Best artificial floor plants
If life gives you (faux) lemons, display them in your entryway. This cheery number has rather convincing leaves and fruit that will brighten up any dark spots in your apartment.
If a small viny plant comes to mind when you hear philodendron, think again. This one grows tall like a tree and will make a statement in your space.
Compared to some faux fiddles that look overstuffed with big clusters of leaves, this one is pleasantly proportioned for a natural look. Choose between a humble burlap-wrapped plastic pot or handsome woven basket for its base.
Birds of paradise are one of those plants that almost look fake even when they’re real, so save yourself the trouble and go faux. This five-foot-tall artificial bird of paradise — complete with irregular leaf tears and crinkles — looks just as beautiful as a live one.
If you want to spend a little less and still get a realistic-looking split-leaf plant, this faux monstera is a good choice.
This five-foot-tall ficus has a delicate look, with its long and slender trunk and intricately detailed leaves. (The manufacturer’s product description says it has “756 individual leaves.”)
Doesn’t this one have a lot of personality? At about two feet tall, it’s a bit smaller than the other artificial floor plants on this list, but it’s a punchy plant that would shine on a little plant stand.
West Elm sells a more traditional-looking faux rubber plant with thick, dark-colored leaves. You can buy it alone or paired with a planter, depending on your planter preferences.
This one, on the other hand, comes in a hand-thrown ceramic planter. You can purchase it separately, too, if you’d like to repot other faux plants in your collection to match.
Get vertical with this faux palm tree that towers more than six feet high. Stick with a simple planter since the tree makes a statement on its own.
Less obvious than a palm tree, this faux yucca plant will give you a similar tropical vibe.
Real dracaena plants can be a bit temperamental and are even toxic to some pets, so save yourself the trouble with this faux version. It gives off tropical vibes and is dense, with 64 natural-looking leaves that can be adjusted.
Snake plants are pretty hard to kill, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. This looks just like the real thing, and it even comes with a minimalist black planter.
This tall Sonoran candelabra will bring the desert to you in no time, minus the heat.
Leave the real olives for your fridge. This towering olive tree has a wooden trunk and adjustable branches that’ll bring a little bit of the Tuscan countryside to your kitchen or dining room.
With long blades of grass and eight tall cattail stems, this plant looks nearly identical to the real thing.
With exactly 393 somewhat-slinky leaves, this silk dracaena tree will make an elegant addition to the corner of an office.
Another pre-potted option from West Elm. This bamboo tree’s stately leaves and branches will contrast nicely with the diagonal lines on the hand-thrown planter.
Best artificial hanging plants
This tradescantia zebrina has the statement plant trifecta: It hangs, grows in a dramatic sprawling vine, and shows beautiful variation in color, including pink.
If you like the idea of a winding, viny plant but are afraid it’ll grow unruly, this faux hanging variegated string of hearts won’t get any bigger.
If you’re too much of a purist to go totally fake, the plant people at the Sill offer some preserved plants like this hanging preserved fern potted in a Japanese moss ball. Like fake plants, this one doesn’t require any maintenance, but it’s also nontoxic and environmentally friendly (in other words, it’s not plastic like most fake plants).
If preserved plants don’t appeal, the Sill also makes realistic-looking artificial plants. This one, a faux Ric Rac Cactus, has almost scalloped-looking leaves.
The details and shading on the leaves of this hanging spider plant make it nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
Display this retro silk Boston fern in a brass planter in your living room, or outdoors over your porch.
If you’re getting an artificial hanging plant, you might as well buy something that would be near impossible to successfully grow indoors, like this always blooming, bright-pink bougainvillea.
Ikea’s faux string-of-bananas plant is so inexpensive that you can splurge on a design-y hanging pot.
Your front door will make an even warmer first impression when decorated with soft green olive branches fashioned into a faux wreath.
Hanging vines like these can function as a leafy garland or provide extra privacy when draped along a room divider or fence.
Best artificial tabletop plants
Ikea sells a number of plants, including some pretty convincing artificial ones. This one will look satisfyingly geometric into perpetuity — no maintenance required.
There’s no need to invest in a mini desk vacuum for pesky dead leaves if you add this plant to your deskscape: All eight inches of it will stay green year-round.
An orchid that you actually can’t kill — and that will add some daintiness to your home office.
The detailed color variations on the leaves of this petite pothos add to its believability.
If you were inspired by Chloë Sevigny’s wedding, look no further than this detailed baby’s-breath arrangement.
Build your own bouquet with Afloral’s highly realistic stems that you can mix and match.
Eucalyptus is having a moment — and faux eucalyptus gets the job done, too. Put these in a clear glass vase with some pebbles for extra texture.
This pot of eucalyptus would look right at home perched on a bookshelf or dresser.
You don’t have to live in a tropical climate to bask under these larger-than-life palm-plant leaves. The stems are adjustable, so you can arrange them as you please.
These artificial orchid stems come in two colors, classic white and yellow, and would also make a dramatic centerpiece.
While thistles grow best in full sun, this one will thrive even in the darkest rooms.
Go for this flat cactus bundled with West Elm’s ceramic planter, or buy the prickly plant individually and use your own pot.
The leaves on this fake plant are bendable, so you can customize this plant into a shape that looks more natural.
This preserved bouquet is just as stunning as fresh lavender but will last much longer and won’t require any watering.
We love the realistic and vibrant green color of the leaves on this pothos plant.
Get the bonsai look without worrying about delicate trimming and upkeep.
While the humble spider plant is considered one of the easiest houseplants to grow, this faux one will never brown at the tips.
Artificial succulents
Standing eight inches tall, this spiky succulent includes a graphic concrete pot and adds a fresh look to a console table arranged with family photos.
If you’d rather leave the potting to the experts, this one comes in a ceramic planter.
This satisfying circle of succulents lives in an understated cement bowl. It’s a bargain for those familiar with real cement-planter prices.
This realistic faux jade is perfect for the person who loves the plant but doesn’t want to fuss over succulent-friendly soil blends.
Decorate your desk with some fake succulents that won’t mind if you take an extra-long weekend.
Wreaths aren’t just for the holidays. Here’s a succulent-studded one that you can display all year long.
And artificial plants to keep outside
If you’re not into taking care of houseplants, we take it you’re not into landscaping either — and there’s faux plants for that, too. Get two of these to flank your front door, along with some decorative pots, and never worry about them again.
Thanks to some included spikes, you can stick these faux bushes right into your lawn. If you’d prefer to flank your front door with something potted, you can plop these in a planter, too.
Afloral also makes UV-protected outdoor plants that won’t fade after months out on a sunny porch.
This four-foot-tall cedar pine will last the entire year without the care a live tree needs. Plop it into your own pot or basket for instant curb appeal.
Brighten your porch planters or one of the above hanging baskets with this fake, UV-protected geranium bush.
Or break out some window boxes to house these cheery yellow, white, and purple flower bundles that, from the inside, will brighten up any old view.
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