This post will probably be a somewhat controversial post for some people, but today we are talking faux plants!! Yup, that includes fiddle leaf fig trees, branches and succulents alike! Of course we would ALWAYS prefer the real thing, but sometimes the circumstance just demands you use fake. Dark living room corner that is begging for some greenery, but doesn’t get any natural light?? Go faux. Hard to reach shelving that makes it too inconvenient to water? Go faux. Do you simply have a case of “black thumb”? GO FAUX!!
We used two of the fiddle leaf fig trees in our orthodontist project and they look really great in the space and other than dusting are completely maintenance-free! (Although we selected these before we knew about our miracle plant food!) :) Our tip for making faux trees look more natural is proper “planting”. I recommend placing the entire pot it came in into a larger planter or basket and covering it with either white landscape rock (available at hardware stores for about $5 for a large bag!) or dirt and moss. This will help make it look as realistic as possible. Check out last weeks post on using baskets as planters for some ideas!
faux fiddle leaf fig // ottoman // rug // round mirror // pillow
rug // side table
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7
fiddle leaf fig tree // basket
media console // fiddle leaf fig branches
fiddle leaf fig tree // basket
sideboard // palm branches // vase
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9
snake plant in white planter // pillow // DAB print
Alright! Hit us with your comments and questions here! Would you use faux plants in your house? Do you have some that you love that you think we should know about?
PS We are working on developing our own line of super-realistic looking faux plants and trees! I’ve got succulents and eucalyptus on the list. What else would you like to see? :)
Olive trees!
I second that! Our SoCal sun just burns the real thing right up!
Fabulous, I love them all. I especially love how the fit beautifully into the rest of your decor
I agree with olive or fig … and I would love to find a realistic or preserved magnolia leaf garland like you made for your fireplace. Swoon!
That’s a GREAT list right there, Kirsten!! Thanks for your input!
What Kirsten said!
Can you share any tips on why those fiddle leafs that you linked up are good ones? I’ve been really searching for a few different faux plants and sometimes it’s just hard to know what makes faux/artificial better than others? Besides like.. really plastic looking. I’ve been eyeing this one, would you say it compares to your favorites? At least just from the pictures?
https://www.allmodern.com/Fiddle-Leaf-Fig-Tree-in-Pot-BRSD4610.html
I also love olive trees and magnolias leaves are so perfect… I love the shades and how big the leaves are. Eucalyptus stems are what I’m alwaaaays searching for and it seems so tricky to find good ones. Have you found any?
Thanks Jenny and Juniper Studio… your posts always have been and still are my reward for when I do something hard, ya know like… fold a load of laundry or something.
Brittany, this looks like the same tree, but it’s on Amazon for about $80
Nearly Natural 5346 Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, 6-Feet, Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FUNH1W2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ToTNzbPKXYYX0
Thanks so much Becky!
This literally could not have come at a better time. I killed my $200 FLF. Dead. I was about to go give it the old college try again, but I was holding back for fear of flushing money down the toilet. PERFECT. Eff it ,I’m going faux.
Yes, girl! You’ll never look back! xo
Oh my goodness! I am semi-freaking out right now… One of the pictures you posted above is my bathroom! I have always loved your blog and never in my wildest dreams imagined seeing my own space posted here. Holy moly heart pounding out of my chest moment. If you want to re-source the picture to my actual post about our bathroom and faux fiddle leaf tree purchase from World Market here is the link: https://mrshein.blogspot.com/2017/07/master-bedroombathroom-reveal.html
This just made my entire week. Loved this post. Thanks for sharing. I am not typically a faux plant fan… but my faux fiddle leaf has been one of my favorite purchases. Worth it for sure.
Meghan,
Thanks so much for reaching out!! We updated our source on your photo :) . We are so glad to hear that you are loving your faux fiddle. It looks so beautiful in your space!!
I’m into it! I killed four plants on a high shelf under a bright light before I just decided to get a fake fern and it fools everyone! Can you put faux trees outside? I know that sounds crazy, but I have a shady area under a deck and just killed an EVERGREEN in two months that I repotted. I’m sure there’s some user error mixed in, but I was just wondering how these stood up to outdoor conditions.
I had the same problem and found great faux outdoor plant options at artificialplantsandtrees.com. Our little faux tree is thriving in our pot by our front door and no one has any idea. I can’t imagine how much $$$ I’ve saved!
You ABSOLUTELY can put faux plants outside! I just bought two for our side porch that gets the craziest full sun. Nothing can survive – even cactus and succulents get fried! Ha! :)
This was so helpful. We have a cat, which makes so many plants dangerous or unrealistic, so I’ve been highly considering the faux route.
You might consider faux lavender plants for your list. I had a pair for many years that fooled everyone. Unfortunately they were left behind when we moved because the movers thought they were real and we couldn’t move live plants to Arizona when we back to the states.
One of my neighbors uses a combination of fake and real flowers in her outside garden! It seems so weird, but actually, the proportion of real to fake kind of makes them all look real unless you really look (except for the occasional unnatural neon stem you know one of the kids had to have). In the foggiest part of SF, having some “plants” totally indifferent to sun is kind of nice… I haven’t been able to get myself to stick some floral stems in my garden, though!
J,
I would actually LOVE a post about propagating Fiddle Leaf Figs. I have one that I’ve managed to keep alive for 2 years, but it doesn’t branch out, and the leaves spring out from top to bottom. I was really hoping for one that looks more like tree versions, with no leaves at the bottom and branches at the top. I’ve read a few posts here and there, but I haven’t found a good step-by-step guideline on HOW to notch the stalk to create the branches, and where and how to cut the top off to create a new stalk.
Just an idea!
-A
I would love a faux bougainvillea for this Southern California native living in Northern Utah! Pretty please!
Oh! That’s a GREAT idea! Adding Bougainvillea to the list!
Thanks!!! xo
Rubber tree plant! Mine is slowly dying in the corner of my dining room :(
Orchids and peonies in bright pink, please! (The only good ones I can find are extremely expensive. E.g., See the orchids in Caitlin Wilson’s shop. Gorgeous, but way out of my price range!)
I’d like faux olive branches, too, not just the trees! Thanks, these roundups are so helpful!
Hi! So I’ve signed up for your print shop’s newsletters, but I haven’t received my code yet for the buy 2, get 1 free deal. Is it supposed to be automatic?
Hi Tina! The email sometimes gets caught in spam filters! Check there and please email us through the printshop site if you have further issues! xo
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