When looking for low-maintenance ways to add the beauty of nature to your design plan, artificial plants and greenery are excellent options.

Because of the many reputable retailers that sell incredible-looking artificial plants, it’s now easy to add a realistic botanical splash to just about any design project. Apply a few insider tips and faux plants in planters can elevate any space.

*Modern Elite Metal Planters with Faux Plants at Schilling Place in Salinas, CA*

Pros and Cons of Faux Plants in Planters

Faux plants have come a long way in recent years. In the past, they were made poorly and could easily cheapen the look of a design project. But many of today’s vast artificial plants and greenery — everything from realistic branches, leaves, and blooms that add a stylish and modern feel — are high quality.

But, like anything else, faux plants have both pros and cons.

Pros of Faux Plants in Planters

Today’s faux plants are being recognized in the design industry for being an easy, low-maintenance way to breathe life into an interior. In fact, according to Architectural Digest, “many top decorators have put them in their projects.”

When you incorporate faux plants into your design project, you can count on these benefits:

Minimize maintenance. When a project can’t guarantee an ongoing maintenance plan for live plants, today’s many faux plant options provide a realistic solution without the upkeep.
Eliminate mess. One reason clients hesitate to incorporate plants and greenery into their design projects is the mess that live plants can create. Living plants involve an entire ecosystem that can attract pests. Fallen leaves or foliage need to be cleaned up. With faux plants, you can obviously avoid these issues.
Decorate with more flexibility. Faux plants can be placed anywhere. Lighting, sufficient humidity, and temperature are no longer issues, so there is no planning involved to ensure/avoid direct sunlight or hot or cool areas.
Open up design choices. Perhaps the most exciting benefit is that the design choices open up dramatically with faux plants. Using large potted artificial plants or trees is an easy way to make a dramatic statement and add greenery — to hallways, driveways, entrances, patios, and more — without placing the burden of maintenance on your clients when the project is complete.
Enjoy the benefits of biophilic design. Biophilic design is trending — and for good reason. Studies show that by incorporating elements of nature into built environments, the people using those spaces experience improvements in well-being and productivity.

Cons of Faux Plants in Planters

There are cons to using faux plants. For example, artificial plants will require some dusting. And because some plastic materials produce off-gassing, it’s wise to ensure you choose a product that does not introduce toxic fumes into the space.

Below, we offer some advice to help you sidestep each pitfall.

Common mistakes with faux plants can lead to unsuccessful outcomes. Large faux plants tend to come in smaller containers since the plant’s root system doesn’t need room to grow. This can be a glaring “tell” for artificial plants.

Solution: Avoid this issue by selecting the plant and the container separately. Opt for commercial planters that help establish a modern, sleek design. With a bit of research, you can determine what size planter the plant would need if it was alive.

Live plants offer some health benefits faux plants simply can’t. All things considered, living plants will always provide more health benefits than artificial greenery. Living plants clean the air, produce oxygen, and emit aromatic chemicals (phytoncides) that reduce stress hormones and relax the brain.

Solution: Weigh the practical benefits faux plants can provide against the cons. A large portion of these benefits result from simply observing the beauty of the greenery and plants. Studies show that the mere presence of greenery soothes and evokes feelings of serenity. In trees, plants, and flowers, the eye picks up naturally occurring repetitive patterns that are aesthetically pleasing and calming.

How to Properly Prepare Faux Plants in Planters

With proper styling, preparing faux plants in planters is absolutely doable. Below are a few hacks that make artificial plants look very real.

Upgrade your planter. As mentioned earlier, large faux trees and plants in small or flimsy containers can be a glaring “tell” for artificial plants. However, faux plants in the right-sized commercial planters give the feeling of professional design.
Select quality faux plants with botanical accuracy. Although a bit obvious, investing in quality artificial plants will elevate the overall design and save your clients money in the long run by not having to replace the faux products.
Avoid perfection. Living plants are not perfect. Bend branches to point in different directions and create asymmetry by pulling off a few leaves here and there.
Add natural elements. Instantly elevate the look of an artificial plant by adding texture and realism with natural elements like real soil, moss, or rocks.

Examples of Indoor Faux Plants in Planters

Whether you choose to use faux plants in an office design project to boost productivity or you incorporate planters for a hospitality client to reduce noise transmission, the possibilities for indoor design projects are virtually endless:

Add some uplifting faux greenery to a university campus or commercial building
Create healing hospital landscapes
Design cozy seating nooks separated by planters with tall faux grasses

Check out how one of our clients incorporated faux plants into a stunning indoor design project:

Ausonio Incorporated, an award-winning design and build company, transformed an abandoned property into a multi-use government facility that now holds the Monterey County Government offices in Salinas, California.

The company incorporated Modern Elite aluminum commercial planters to add a bit of green in a long hallway. A few inviting planters flank benches that soften the space and allow people to use the space and take a break when needed. The commercial planters were filled with faux plants and decorative stones to decrease their overall maintenance requirements.

Outdoor Faux Plants in Planters

Decorating with outdoor faux plants in planters has become an increasingly popular option as clients of landscape contractors seek low-maintenance and sustainable solutions for outdoor projects.

Although outdoor faux plants will need to be cleaned from time to time, they provide clients with year-round greenery without the need for constant care.

Use cases for outdoor faux plants in planters include:

Minimize maintenance for your client. Faux plants in outdoor commercial planters can enhance the aesthetics of balconies, pool decks, courtyards, and patios with a hassle-free option for those without a green thumb or clients without the ongoing budget to maintain live plants.
Offer clients sustainable and drought-proof solutions. Faux plants enable design projects to address the growing demand for sustainable landscaping solutions and cater to eco-conscious clients interested in xeriscaping and water conservation.
Solve zoning headaches. When the need for privacy conflicts with zoning regulations, faux boxwood hedges can create an attractive and realistic barrier. Whether the project needs to define outdoor spaces or conceal undesirable elements, faux plants enable landscape contractors to tailor outdoor areas with precision and meet client expectations for both functionality and aesthetics.

Learn More

Replicating nature is no easy feat and faux plants will not be right for every project or every client. But with patience and careful planning, faux plants can add depth and variety to the options you offer your clients.

To learn more about whether faux plants could be right for your next project or how to pick the right planters for your space, contact us and speak with one of our experts today. We’re here to help answer any questions you might have.