Last updated on November 22nd, 2023 at 02:21 am
I used to be a murderer. Of plants. I still slip up sometimes and end up killing without meaning to:( Ok, while you’re getting to know your way around real, live plants, it may be a good idea to go for some gorgeous realistic faux plants to boost your confidence a little bit (and your home décor). It’s super easy to opt for live plants, but taking responsibility for their survival may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Still, show me one person who doesn’t like a bit of green in their home! Enter artificial plants — fake plants, faux plants. They’ll remain the same size, never muddy up your living room carpet, never poison your cat, and you’ll never turn into a murderer (and therefore will be less stressed out on that front).
I am still in two minds about recommending faux plants, though, even as I write this. On the one hand, they can be easy. But that, from an environmental point of view, is never good news. And on the other hand, they actually do have drawbacks that affect the environment. For one thing, they’re usually made out of plastic and toxic dyes! Does this toss your zero waste goals out the window? Only if you throw the faux plant away. Yes, my friends, the only way to be zero waste with faux plants is to not waste them at all. Ever.
[BTW are you looking for ways to make flower bouquets eco-friendly and sustainable?]
Faux Plants – The Good & The Bad
But why even buy them and thus support their production in the first place?
This is a loaded question. But the simple answer is that I believe it’s better to feed your yearning for greenery with faux plants when other options are unavailable. You may be living in a place where you cannot realistically take care of live plants. You may travel a lot for work (not right now during the pandemic, but you know what I mean). You may have naughty pets or kids and it’s beyond the limits of your own safety regulations to bring real plants into the equation. Or, you may want a small faux plant on your office desk just to remember what nature looks like (irony, I know) while you slave away under the blinding white lights (I speak, obviously, from experience. I have killed many plants in my office cubicle as well.)
Among the drawbacks is that faux plants don’t actually help in any practical way: they don’t clean your environment and your air of toxins, and they’re a pain to clean. They can get dusty real easily, and having to regularly wipe, vacuum, and scrub them can get tiring. And when someone visits and appreciates your plant, you can’t really pluck out a part of it and say, “Here, take this and plant it at your place!” That sense of community sharing of a living, growing thing will never be a part of your faux plant story.
Faux Plants to Boost Your Mood
But, on the plus side, faux plants can look like the real thing, sometimes even better (since they won’t be showing any signs of life such as drooping, yellowing, etc!). Which means they can do wonders for your décor and your mood. In fact, there’s enough and more evidence that greenery can make a big difference to your emotional wellbeing – and faux plants and real plants have the same effect. Good to have their company in the current climate, especially, with so much uncertainty and stress.
So, if you want to introduce some greenery into your home, head to the nearest Target or World Market if you can, and but one or two faux plants. Target has some of the best options on offer. Another option is to head online to Amazon and shop there. (Faux plants are suited for online shopping since they won’t grow, so they’ll never surprise you with their sudden growth spurt into the ceiling!)
You can also throw in a planter basket or two for that extra prettiness!
The most important thing? Don’t buy more than a couple, and take good care of them! They can last for years and years, and once they’re “dead” (faded and torn, or just disintegrated from age), get rid of them responsibly (i.e. no dumping in a landfill).
And, if this affair with faux plants can get you into the real thing, hey, nothing like it! They do say ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’, and I guess we can apply this to plants as well? Take the fake ones for a test drive, sing to them if you want, and then commit to the live ones later down the road. Or not. Your call.
9 Realistic Faux Plants That You’ll Love
For now, though, here are some faux plant suggestions that will be a wonderful introduction into the world of indoor plants!
#1 FIDDLE LEAF FIG TREE
#2 SNAKE PLANT
#3 BIRD OF PARADISE PALM TREE
#4 RUBBER LEAF TREE
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#5 RUFFLE FAN PALM
#6 TROPICAL YUCCA PLANT
#7 EUCALYPTUS
#8 MONSTERA LEAF STEM
#9 SUCCULENT IN GLASS TERRARIUM
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Eco-friendly Faux Plants
To tie up this post, check out Bloomist’s EcoFaux collection. Maybe the tide is turning, and eco-friendly faux plants will be available due to increasing demand? I won’t hold my breath, but I thought this was worth a mention.
Caring for Faux Plants
Finally, if you would like to know how to clean your awesome faux plants, check out the video below on how to care for your artificial plants:
Alright, so that was fun! I hope you liked this post. You can check out more in our post on eco friendly home decor, and also these unique Etsy shops for home decor. Please let me know what you think, in the comments.
If you liked this post, please share it with your friends. Thank you!<3
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE DETAILS.
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