How to Use Artificial Plants in Real Ways

Place artificial plants in stylish containers with attractive pot toppers. With faux plants, you don’t need to worry about watering or drainage, giving you plenty of options for planters.

Baskets are perfect planters for artificial plants. Look for handmade natural jute or cotton baskets for your indoor garden. Try ceramic containers in colors that resonate with your decor. More options include metal, fiberglass, concrete and composite materials—each provides its own shape to enhance your faux plants.

Pot topper options range from colorful glass beads and gravel rocks to popular organic toppers like Spanish moss.

Keep your decor fresh with a mix of live and faux plants. Easy-care favorites like pothos and sansevieria thrive in low light and can handle a little bit of neglect if you forget to water or suddently decide to travel.

More low-maintenance houseplants to mix with your artificial indoor garden:

• Aglaonema
• Dracaena
• Parlor Palm
• Peace Lily
• Ponytail Palm
• ZZ Plant

Tip: Place artificial plants in low light. Faux finishes sometimes look artificial in harsh light and will stand out when mixed with live plants.

Place faux plants in hard-to-reach spaces like bookshelves. Artificial plants are an excellent choice for shelves where live plants may be difficult to maintain. For example, they may not get enough light or watering may damage surrounding objects (like books).

Plants with trailing vines look lovely on bookshelves. Try spider plant, ivy and peperomia in hanging baskets or planters on shelves.

Tip: It’s tempting to put artificial plants in out-of-reach kitchen spaces like tops of refrigerators and cabinets. Over time, cooking disperses grease into the air that lands on plants (and other objects). This oily layer attracts dust and can be difficult to clean. To keep your artificial plants looking fresh for as long as possible, display them away from cooking areas (or routinely clean them, see info below).

Fill quiet corners of your room with artificial plants. Some popular plants like fiddle leaf fig and monstera can be persnickety when grown indoors. They have particular light and water needs. Instead, add a faux ficus, banana, or palm for easy care and lifelike luxury.

Tip: Large statement plants like fiddle leaf fig need big planters to balance out their size. Look for baskets and upscale metal or ceramic containers to showcase your faux tree.

Make your home office brighter with faux greenery. No need to use a background effects filter in your next video call – you can place artificial plants on shelves or a table behind you for a professional and stylish backdrop.

Tip: Periodically fluff your faux plants to keep them looking their best.

Style your coffee table with one or more artificial plants in containers. It’s okay if they get knocked over by guests or pets, just pick them up, dust them off and enjoy them.

This is a simple way to enjoy seasonal blooms in your home. You can display a vase of artificial tulips in spring, red roses in summer and pink orchids in winter.

Create amazing green walls with artificial plants. These are far easier to install and maintain than live plants. Look for panels of artificial plants in ivy or boxwood styles. You can add individual succulents or your favorite tropicals to the mix.

Tip: Take care and place the walls in low-light areas for the longest life of your green wall.

Keep your artificial plants clean so they'll last longer. Here's how to clean artificial plants:

• Routinely dust your plants. You can use a feather duster to brush light dust off plants.
• Use a clean and dry paint brush (like a chip brush) to remove excess dirt from your plants. You may want to move the plant outside to do this.
• The planter and plant topper need routine cleaning, too.
• For large-leaved plants, use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe down leaves. A clean toothbrush is also handy for getting into hard-to-reach spaces.
• Try lightly spraying furniture polish on your microfiber cloth and then gently wiping foliage for a light, natural-looking gloss.