6 Secrets to Pulling Off Fake Plants and Flowers at Home

Look beyond the basic potted palm. When shopping for a faux plant, don’t be afraid to go bold — think sculptural shapes like a six-foot fiddle leaf fig for that lonely corner of your living room, an esoteric arrangement of branches for the mantle, or a tabletop succulent terrarium.

Dusty plants (faux or real) never look good. A quick once over with the feather duster will usually do the trick. If there’s a layer of grime on your fake plant, use a light spray action from a hose or shower head to dislodge the dust. Just make sure to tip your plant to the side, point the water away from the container, and drip dry out of direct sunlight to avoid spots.

Remember when you were a kid and you drew all your trees with perfectly symmetrical green puffy tops? We all know real life is a tad messier. Select faux plants that mimic the irregularities of nature. Look for plants that jut out in unexpected directions. Select blooms representing the full range of a flower’s lifespan — from bud to fully open. And feel free to bend and cut stems (wire cutters are a must) to varying lengths to create an arrangement that looks lifelike.

What is a glass vase full of faux flowers with no water surrounding the stems? A quick way to spoil your secret, that’s what. Anchor your plant or arrangement of flowering branches in a base of dirt, rocks, or faux moss; it adds a welcome organic element to your room and ups the realistic factor at the same time. Don’t feel like getting your hands dirty? Opt for an opaque vase. (Especially for an arrangement of faux cut flowers!)

It’s tempting, I know, to stick that adorable trio of fake succulents in the bathroom that has no window (it needs a touch of color!), but remember that in real life, those little plants would be dead within a week. Unless you want your cover completely blown, put your new pretend plant in a place that’s plausible.

Check out Nearly Natural for high-end faux plants — they have a wide variety of trees, succulents, wreathes, and even fake fruit and vegetables for a kitchen display. Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are great for flowering and leafy branches, potted succulents, and natural-looking cut flowers. As always, look to Etsy for customization and quirk. And don’t forget to check Ikea if you have one nearby — on my last visit another woman and I started laughing when we realized we were both smelling the foliage to figure out which plants were real and which were fake!