Artificial plants buying guide

Before you buy an artificial plant, decide where it will go, how big it needs to be and how closely people will see it: those three answers narrow the choice more than anything else. This guide takes you through seven decisions in order and links to our detailed guides at each step.

Seven decisions, in order

1. Indoors or outdoors?

Start with where the plant will live, because it rules out more products than any other choice. Only UV-stabilised products are made for outdoor use, and they are guaranteed against fading for one year. Everything else we sell is for indoor use or a covered spot out of direct sun.

Sun through glass counts too. A conservatory, a south-facing window or a sunny kitchen windowsill will gradually fade foliage that isn't UV-stabilised, so choose from our UV-stabilised plants for those spots as well. Our outdoor artificial plants guide covers patios, balconies, wind and winter.

2. What size?

Measure the spot before you browse. For a floor plant or tree, measure the height to the ceiling and the width and depth of floor you can give it. As a rule of thumb, leave around 30–40cm of clear space above the foliage, and add the extra height of any taller decorative planter you plan to use.

Heights and spreads on our product pages are as arranged in our photos. Many of our plants and trees have wired stems or branches, so the spread can be shaped narrower or wider. The most common regret is buying too small, so if you are between two sizes for a floor spot, the larger one is usually the safer choice. Our artificial plant size guide matches heights to ceilings, furniture and positions, and our large artificial plants are a good place to start for floor spots.

3. Tree, plant, flowers or trailing?

• Trees fill corners and larger floor spaces and give height. Browse all artificial trees, or read our artificial tree buying guide.
• Plants cover everything from desk plants to bushy floor plants. Browse all artificial plants.
• Flowers come as potted flowering plants, ready-made arrangements and single stems for your own vases. Browse artificial flowers, and see our artificial orchid guide and flower arranging guide.
• Trailing and hanging plants suit shelves, the tops of units and spots with no floor space. Some come as bare stems without a pot, so check the pot details on the product page.
• Topiary, such as balls, cones and spirals, gives a formal look and works well in matching pairs.

4. How realistic does it need to be?

How closely a plant will be seen decides how much realism matters. A plant on a high shelf or at the back of a room is seen from a distance; a tree beside a sofa or a reception desk is seen from arm's length. For close viewing, look for:

• Trunks and stems: several of our trees have natural wood trunks or natural bamboo canes, which look real even up close.
• Leaf material: product descriptions often say whether the leaves are silk, plastic or real touch. Our article on silk, plastic and real-touch artificial plants explains the difference.
• Wired stems: these let you shape the plant so it doesn't look as if it has just come out of a box.
• Leaf colour: varied shades of green, rather than one flat colour, look more natural.

Our guide to the most realistic artificial plants goes into each detail, and how to tell if artificial plants are good quality is a useful checklist.

5. Pot and planter

Many of our plants and trees arrive in a weighted plastic starter pot, ready to display. Most people then stand the starter pot inside a decorative planter and cover the top with gravel, bark or moss. As a rule of thumb, choose a planter whose opening is a few centimetres wider than the starter pot; where we list the starter-pot size, you will find it on the product page.

Check the product description to see what is included. Where a product photo shows a decorative planter, the description says whether it is included, available as an option or shown for illustration only.

Some plants can be bought with a planter already chosen for them: see our plants with planters. Otherwise, browse all planters or read our planter size guide.

6. Home or commercial?

For homes, our artificial plants and flowers are pet-safe (non-toxic) and allergy-friendly (no pollen). Some of our olive trees carry realistic olives that look edible, so take care in homes with small children.

For offices, hotels, restaurants and other public spaces, fire performance may matter. Some of our products are supplied by our manufacturer as fire-retardant (FR) grade. Fire-retardant does not mean fireproof: they can still burn. We can supply fire certificates for commercial projects. Contact us for more information. Read our fire-retardant artificial plants guide and our guide to artificial plants for hospitality, or see our trade accounts page for larger orders.

7. Budget and upkeep

The price of an artificial plant depends mainly on:

• Size: taller plants and trees with wider canopies use more material.
• Detail: more detailed designs, such as trees with natural wood trunks or dense foliage, tend to cost more than simpler ones.
• What's included: a decorative planter, where one comes with the plant, adds to the price.

The product cards on this page show live prices. For a broader overview, see how much artificial plants cost.

Upkeep is light: shape the plant when it arrives, dust it every few weeks and keep it out of strong sun unless it is UV-stabilised. Our products carry a one-year warranty. Our artificial plant care guide covers cleaning by material, damp rooms and storage.

Mistakes first-time buyers make

• Not measuring. Plants are easy to misjudge on screen. Measure the spot, including the ceiling height and the floor space, before you order.
• Buying too small. A floor plant needs presence, and several small plants rarely do the job of one larger one.
• Putting a standard plant in the sun. Anything that isn't UV-stabilised belongs indoors or in a covered spot out of direct sun.
• Forgetting the planter. A plastic starter pot on show makes even a realistic plant look artificial. Budget for a planter, or choose a plant that comes with one.
• Not shaping it. Plants are packed tightly for delivery, and most need a few minutes of shaping before they look right.
• Buying one of everything. A few plants in related shapes and colours look more considered than many different ones.

Our first-time buyer's checklist turns these into a list you can work through.

Buying for a whole room or a business

If you are furnishing a whole room, choose the largest plant first and build around it, then add medium and small plants in related shapes. For an office, hotel or restaurant, list every space and position before you order, note which areas need fire-retardant products, and check how each spot is lit, because UV-stabilised products are needed anywhere in direct sun.

Are artificial plants worth it?

They are worth it where real plants struggle or where looking after them is impractical:

• rooms with little or no daylight, such as windowless bathrooms, hallways and offices;
• high shelves, the tops of units and other places that are hard to reach with a watering can;
• homes with pets or allergy sufferers;
• offices, receptions and holiday homes, where no one is around to water.

They are less suited to spots in full sun unless you choose UV-stabilised products, and they do need occasional dusting. Our articles on whether artificial plants are worth it and artificial versus real plants weigh up both sides.

See them before you buy

Leaf is a UK company based in Louth, Lincolnshire, and 100% employee-owned. If you would like to see our plants and trees in person, our showroom is open without an appointment Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm, and at weekends by appointment.

More guides

• How to style artificial plants: placement, grouping and scale.
• Artificial plants by room: what works in each room of the house.
• Artificial plants for dark rooms: choices for spaces with little daylight.
• Artificial palm tree guide
• Artificial ficus tree guide
• Artificial olive tree guide