Getting Real With Faux Plants & Flowers

There are a lot of people who love the idea of plants, but for various reasons, are unable to maintain them in their living spaces. A lack of plants and flowers can make a space feel cold and sterile. You might love the textures of leaves and colorful flowers, but travel too much. Or don't have the time to keep an eye on them, because let's face it, plants need to be cared for. Or you might have tried to grow plants but could never manage to do it successfully. That's where faux or artificial flowers and plants come in.

It's actually quite surprising how many faux plants and flowers we've integrated into our lives and don't even notice. Especially around the holiday season, everything from Christmas trees to wreaths to holly leaves can be artificial. Even poinsettias can be artificial (see photo above). With faux plants, flowers and trees, you can get a lot of the beauty and benefits of having plants around, but without some of the problems dealing with pests, watering them, pruning them, and making sure there is adequate light.

Here is what faux plant expert Calvin Leong-Won says about these plants.

Question: When I visit craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, I often find their faux plants actually look really fake to me. What materials, technology and ideas are key to achieving a more lifelike appearance in artificial plants?

Answer:  Historically, artificial flowers were made from silk from the country that cultivated the silk worm: China, where artificial flowers started. As far back as the Neolithic period of China, until 114 BC where silk production was exclusive, until the opening of the Silk Road where trade spread to Italy, France, England and of course the United States, in which all of these countries came up with their own elaborate versions of silk flowers. Fast forward to the 1950s and a combination of metal and plastics were used to give artificial flowers better structure, and then in the 1980s a few companies began using plastic stems that were molded around a reinforcing wire. The outer petals were made of silk and mounted on the stem. This technique has been used for several decades with little improvement, giving it an appearance of a fake and unnatural botanical, hence giving the appearance of sentimental cheap silk flowers that lose their color and luster.

In 2006, a breakthrough in manufacturing came about using polyether polyurethane (PU) in place of plastic or silk that breathed new life into the industry. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry of faux botanicals. 

Today, perhaps the best known type of material that gives the most realistic appearance and feel of artificial flowers is known as "Real Touch®" or "Natural Touch" flowers. Unlike the artificial flowers of the past that didn't display the rich, vivid colors, texture or feel, "Real Touch" flowers are made of polymers (latex, silicone and plastic) which gives its ability to recreate what we see in nature. 

Question: What are the materials used for creating realistic faux plants eco-friendly? Many people might worry that these plants could eventually contribute to landfill waste, whereas living plants naturally decompose into compost.

Answer: Landfill and waste may be a concern, however when we’re talking about artificial plants one of the main reasons people buy them is because they are “eternal.” Because they never need watering and unlike their counterpart real-life plants they will never die and are durable for many years to come. They maintain their shape for many, many years and this will eliminate the need to throw them out. Good quality faux bontanicals aren’t usually thrown out since they are also an investment, so this is not usually an issue. People who don’t recycle usually throw out more plastic bottles than artificial plants.

Question: Selecting the perfect container can elevate the look of any plant. Do you have guidelines for choosing planters? I understand there are a wide range of tastes in interior design, or even, lack of interior design.

Answer: I've always believed that simple is always better. You want the main focus to be on the plant, whether it's real or artificial – not the pot. For me, having highly decorative or ornate designs on a pot can take away from the beauty of the plant. Unless you are trying to recreate a time period theme such as in the old English times, a highly-ornate pot might compete with the aesthetics of the plant you are trying to display. A solid color such as white, black or gray for instance in a cylindrical or modular shape to me really brings out the plant because you are not focused on the planter/container. Lastly, getting a planter that has height such as 24", 28", 30" or taller to prop up your faux botanical can give it height and set precedence in a room. 

Question: What are your thoughts on blending real and faux plants in a space? How can this be done tastefully?

Answer: I think it's brilliant when done right! I'm sure you realize that there are times when using the real version of a plant is just not attainable, either due to seasonal conditions, or the fact that it's just not available at the time. This is where adding artificial plants comes into play. When using high-quality artificial plants to blend into your arrangements, it can make a dramatic, visual impact of the atmosphere you are trying to create.

Question: A common concern is that faux plants might appear too artificial, even if they’re crafted well. I can usually tell immediately that a plant is artificial. Are there tips for arranging or lighting them to enhance their realism?

Answer: If you look at nature – the trees, the plants and flowers, they all have variations and subtleties in their coloring, texture and random arrangements of their leaves.  By giving your arrangement depth, it can definitely make an impact. For example, using various shapes that compliment your arrangement such as circular, triangular and linear can give the viewer various visual points to focus on, instead of seeing one point of the same arrangement of florals or plants. This allows the viewer a wider variety of shapes for them to focus their eyes on, thereby making it less obvious that it's indeed artificial.

How many times have you seen an artificial floral arrangement or plant that has only one kind of leaf? When a full arrangement includes 4 - 5 varieties of florals it will take the viewer longer to figure out that it's actually a faux botanical because they're already engaged in viewing all the various shapes and interplay. As far as lighting, depending on your arrangement and its size, a simple, focused spotlight either from the bottom or overhead (such as a gimbal spotlight with a narrow beam) is always complimentary to all plants whether they are real or faux. To achieve this, bottom spotlights such as canned spotlights with a swivel, or recessed gimbal spotlights with 3" - 4" lights and a 40° angle are very complimentary.

Question: How have the textures of bark and stems in faux plants evolved? What innovations have you seen in making these elements more convincing? Part of the problem I've seen in the past is that you can see the "seams" on plants.

Answer: Many of the "seams" you see on artificial leaves and tree barks are the product of mass production, which equates to lower-priced tier faux plants. If realism is what you are going for then consider artificial plants/trees that are hand-crafted. In essence these are literally sculptures that re-interpret real-life botanicals. This is an art form. As with any art form, be prepared to pay for this premium for this is what will give you the realism – the time, the artistic interpretation and skillset of the faux botanical maker. The innovation I see is perhaps in the materials that they may choose to use, whether it's synthetic or a blend of synthetic with real tree bark in artificial trees. 

Question: What’s the best way to care for faux plants to keep them looking fresh and vibrant? Dust can be an issue since these plants don’t shed leaves or flowers like real ones.

Answer: Artificial plants are usually quite low maintenance. I recommend a small computer keyboard brush to vacuum the leaves or trunk of your artificial plant, a can of compressed air or a Swiffer™ pad should do the trick.

Question: Christmas trees are perhaps the most popular type of faux plant. Are they typically considered part of the broader faux plant category, or do they belong in a separate, yet related, discussion? There are also non-pine faux trees that people decorate for the holidays — how do these fit in? I'm partly thinking about the lighted trees you have in your own home.

Answer: Christmas trees are still an artificial plant. However, because of the symbolic references and interpretations each person has about Christmas trees, I tend to treat it as a category of its own. That and the fact that no other type of artificial tree has ever had to go through a literal makeover each year in the name of lights, garland and ornaments. During Christmas you do see a large variety of artificial trees from pine to the Douglas fir, which is what you may be referring to. I think because most of us dress up our trees in a sense, it's no longer a tree, but a symbol of the holidays and what it culturally and universally represents for each individual.

Question: Where do you find the highest quality faux plants? Are there specific retailers or brands known for their realistic offerings? Or is it a matter of treasure hunting?

A: I have shopped at your local Homegoods, Marshalls and even Target for artificial plants and trees. You just never know what you get there as their items can be quite diverse at various times of the year. But if you're looking for a consistent source that specializes in faux botanicals, then one brand I like is from the company Nearly Naturals. They are one of the largest source for high-quality, affordable and fairly realistic faux botanicals. I started off purchasing some of their maple and Japanese maple trees and have been pretty satisfied with the quality of their artificial plants. Their artificial Sansevieria plants [snake plants] come very close to the ones that you find in some luxury hotel lobbies. This brand can be found on their website or on Amazon.com. Another online retailer I like is Petals, which sells some of the highest-quality floral arrangements and trees I have seen. Their price range is a little higher, but they use real-touch type of florals and they have a large variety of arrangements that have depth, dimension and asymmetry in their designs. Their caliber of products are aimed at the commercial space such as office buildings and hospitality. I have several of their floral arrangements and they having stunning realism and show some of the highest quality craftsmanship I have seen. There's also eBay and Amazon.com, which offer a wide-variety of faux botanicals through their marketplace for artificial florals, plants and trees.

Question: When creating plant room displays, how can one effectively combine multiple faux plants to achieve a cohesive and beautiful arrangement? That's a pretty broad question, but the real question is probably how do people know what to do with their beautiful faux plants?

Answer: First, I would choose a theme. Whether it's tropical, desertscape, southwestern, Mediterranean or spa. I would stick with that theme and build a whole display or arrangement based on that theme. For instance, if you wanted a spa theme, I would go with Bamboo, Dracaena, Sansevieria or Peace Lily. I would make sure they have varying heights and shapes. Using just 2 - 3 selections could create the look. Choose a simple pot/container that ties in with your theme. All of these components can help create the look and feel of your theme.