A Green Thumbs Up to Faux Plants

There’s no denying how much life a little greenery can bring to a room. But if you’re a platinum card-holder of the Plant Killer Society and have no intention of turning in your membership, then faux plants may just be your answer. If you’re a short-term rental host, it may not be about your killer status as much as it is convenience. I know what you’re thinking — artificial plants have long been known as decorating faux-pas. And honestly, if my younger self heard me giving fake plants any amount of love, she would give me that “Who are you?!?” judgy look. But if you find fake substitutes that look good, save you money in the long run, AND eliminate the stress of keeping them alive, then why not?!? Thankfully, faux plants have come a long way in recent years.

Still, not all faux are created equal.  This is definitely the case of you get what you pay for. I find that air plants and succulents are well suited in faux and come at a reasonable price. True, these types of plants are already easy-to-care-for, but again, outside of a little dusting now and then, going faux allows you to be maintenance-free. They also allow you to put plants in hard to reach places, or areas that don’t get enough natural light to keep a plant alive. Flowers are harder to pass off because really, what flowers live forever?!? This doesn’t mean that flowers are off-limits; I normally stick to the dried variety for a more realistic and affordable option. For all other flower and plant varieties, be prepared to make a heavier $$$ investment if you want them to be “really hard-to-tell if they’re real or not”. But for how flowers and plants are able to transform a room, it may be worth the money for the no-watering and no-killing that faux saves you.

If realism is not your goal and just want something cute, then go faux it! A little girl’s room is a perfect example of how a playful decor allows for a little bit of faux fun. A cactus, like the one below, is 100% fake and not trying to fool anyone. But if it lends itself to that quirky vibe you’re aiming for, then why not rejoice in its faux-ness?!

If realism is the target, then look for a faux plant that has realistic looking trunk/stems and imperfect leaves. Papery or fabric looking leaves with way-too-obvious plastic-looking veins are not fooling anyone. Definitely stay away from decorative touches like little imitation water droplets. Push the illusion even further by topping the hard fake soil it normally sports with real dirt or pebbles. If the container that it came in looks too small, cheap, or just not your style, then place it inside a more substantial pot or basket that makes more sense; the original pot will get covered by the soil you add anyway. It’s also an opportunity to customize with a planter that coordinates even better with your decor. These simple little tricks will have people focused on its overall look than whether the plant is real or not. 

So what do you say — ready to say good-bye to your black thumb and hello to your faux green thumb? I’ve dipped my toe into the faux world and happy to report that it didn’t kill me. ;)

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