The Best Places to Buy Fake Plants Online (2024)

Wayfair

Wayfair is a behemoth that offers a huge range of styles and prices—recent searches on the retailer for "artificial plants" yielded more than 5,500 results across more than 100 different brands. For this reason, it's best to shop at Wayfair if you know exactly what you're looking for.

Patience will pay off and give you lots of options, and the site is easy to use and lets you search by size, type of plant, price, and more. At press time there were 35 different species offered under artificial plants, and these included boxwood, onion grass, and dracaena, as well as more general categories like "flowering." Our tester raved about the Pure Garden Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, calling it “one of the most realistic-looking around.” Spiky spider plants, lush-looking hanging ferns, and loose jasmine branches are just a few other types of artificial greenery on offer.

When shopping, you can filter your search results by "closeout" or "sale," which will help you find some excellent deals. You can also find sale items by clicking on "Sales" and navigating to the Faux Plants section. There's free shipping after $35 spent, but additional fees for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories.

_{Return policy: Within 30 days (shipping charges not refunded) | Delivery options: Most deliveries made by UPS or FedEx}

The Sill

The Sill is a small retailer with just a handful of brick-and-mortar stores that focuses mostly on live plants. However, you’ll still be able to find a small but mighty selection of artificial options on their website. It includes handmade plants that have been preserved naturally—like the Living Wall and the Fern Kokedama—so they look especially like the real deal, though the plastic plants, like the Maranta, are also realistic, thanks to their irregular color patterns and differently sized leaves.

One gripe that we have with The Sill is that they don’t specify the heights of tabletop plants, only the diameters. None of the plants have the materials listed, though the FAQ mentions that they are a mix of fabric, plastic, wire, and foam. Further, The Sill's excellent craftsmanship does not come cheap; the six-foot Fiddle Fig tree, which was sold out at press time, retails for $300. For that reason, it's best for those who are looking for a few statement pieces, and not those who are, say, trying to fill every nook and cranny of a new home.

_{Return policy: Within 30 days, handled on a case-by-case basis | Delivery options: Standard and express shipping (2 to 6 business days) using carriers like UPS}

World Market

World Market was started in San Francisco during the 1950s, and has nearly 250 stores in close to 40 states. They also have a robust website that's easy to navigate, and their artificial plant section includes varieties like strings of bananas and aloe, succulents, and trees, as well as individual smaller items like wreaths and stems. "The whole fiddle fig collection at World Market is a secret weapon we use time and time again," says Davis, who likes the 72-inch tree for tight spaces like urban apartments, since most of the bulk is towards the top. "It keeps the lower space more open if your furniture is wall to wall," she says.

Although there isn't a huge selection, the plants on offer are distinctive and include unusual containers (like the Faux Philodendron Birkin Plant in White-Striped Pot). You won't necessarily find yourself repotting your new purchase, which is a common hack for making artificial plants feel more special. If you join World Market Rewards, you'll get offers like a birthday discount, 15 percent off your first order, and 10 percent off curbside pickups.

_{Return policy: 60 days | Delivery options: Standard ground, lower 48 states only}

Afloral

Afloral, whose motto is "the joy of nature should never fade," has a manageable selection that still feels robust. The online-only company focuses on artificial flowers, dried flowers, and artificial plants, and also sells accessories like vases and flower arrangers. One section completely focuses on high-quality silk blooms that can be used for weddings.

The site is easy to browse, and shoppers can search by color, type, and height, as well as filter by options like real touch (meaning the plant will feel like a live one, and likely be thin plastic, versus one made with silk or even metal), outdoor and UV-protected, holiday, and fall. Looking to make floral arrangements or centerpieces? There are more than 300 dried and artificial flowers and stems, including fluffy Pampas Grass that measures four feet long and dozens of rose replicas such as the multi-layered English Cabbage Rose.

One area that falls short: Afloral doesn't have many dramatic, oversize items like trees. The prices are fair given the quality (a lush Hanging Pothos costs $58); they're higher than big-box stores, but shouldn't completely destroy your budget. For ground shipping, the minimum is $5.

_{Return policy: Within 30 days (shipping charges not refunded) | Delivery options: UPS for lower 48 states, FedEx SmartPost for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories}

Nearly Natural

Founded in 2002, Nearly Natural is a longstanding player in the artificial plant space. Here, you’ll find hundreds of options, with an especially impressive selection of fake trees (1,500 at the time of publication!). Luckily, the site is easy to search, since you can refine it by categories such as height, width, color, and plant type. Besides trees, Nearly Natural also carries plants, flowers, holiday trees, and greenery, as well as an entire section devoted to outdoor options.

One of our favorites is the Pothos Silk Plant, which our home tester praised for its varied, realistic-looking leaves (no two are the same). If you're looking to make a statement in a room with high ceilings, we also reviewed and loved the Golden Cane Palm Silk Tree, which stands at a dramatic 6.5 feet and has a rubbery trunk that could easily be mistaken for the real deal. “[It’s] substantial enough to stay upright and keep its alibi as a real tree, but not so unwieldy that it’s hard to move around if needed,” says our tester. You can also opt for a section of an artificial living wall, which is hearty enough to withstand the elements outdoors but would also jazz up a living room (the gently browned leaf tips make it seem especially lifelike).

If you decide your plants aren't for you, Nearly Natural's return policies are fairly standard and straightforward—just note that they only ship to the 48 lower contiguous states. You'll have 30 days to make a return and pre-paid labels are available, but your original shipping charges won't be refunded. There's a 25 percent discount if you subscribe to the site's newsletter, and a VIP points loyalty program that offers discounts after you spend certain amounts. Nearly Natural has a small sale section, as well as regular events such as Christmas in July, where shoppers might save as much as 30 percent on holiday items. Shipping is free, and there's no minimum order.

_{Return policy: 30 days | Delivery options: FedEx to 48 lower contiguous states}

Amazon

Like Wayfair, Amazon offers a seriously impressive selection of artificial plants (20,000 at press time!). The behemoth retailer makes browsing very easy, and besides the usual things like Prime, price, and type, you can get really specific with filters, even searching by container material and special features (eco-friendly, weather-resistant, washable).

Amazon may work best for shoppers who know exactly what they are looking for since there are just so many options. The range is incredible and includes plants that cost just pennies, like this simple Shlutesoy Artificial Arrangement of mixed stems. Our testers loved the Augshy Store's 16-Pack of Artificial Unpotted Succulents, which looks realistic and offers serious value for money.

When shopping, we’d recommend reading through customer reviews carefully—and if you're not buying directly from Amazon, look at the seller's ratings and return policy. Orders sold directly by Amazon have a super-simple return process, so if your plants aren't quite to your liking, they'll be easy to send back.

_{Return policy: Within 30 days for items sold by Amazon, third-party sellers may vary | Delivery options: Varies, carriers include UPS, Amazon, and third-party vendors}

Terrain

Terrain has a few pop-up shops as well as locations within its sibling, Anthropologie, but most of its offerings are sold online. The brand’s focus is on live plants, fresh flowers, and garden items, but there's a small selection of faux greenery, which includes quirky items like the stark, eye-catching Iron Potted Houseplant and the splurgy, intricately designed Gilded Botanicals Iron and Metal Wreath.

The stems and flowers are quite pricey and start at $26. There are only a few traditional faux houseplants, but they are realistic and constructed well. Given the expensive prices and impressive details, items from Terrain work best as statement pieces.

Sales are frequent (check the homepage or "Current Promotions + Offers" for current codes) and you can also find quite a bit of discounted faux greenery, like preserved floral bunches and faux sprays, in the "Sale" section.

_{Return policy: 30 days for full refund, merchandise credit after that | Delivery options: 1 to 10 business days, carriers vary}

The Home Depot

"Giant" doesn't even quite cut it to describe Home Depot, which has more than 2,000 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Their website is also massive, and although they're known for their live plants, they have hundreds of artificial options as well, including topiaries, hedges, trees, and shrubs from dozens of different brands, including Nearly Natural and Laura Ashley.

Although the selection is large, shoppers can filter by price, type, brand, size, and even different other categories such as placement (e.g., floor, tabletop, or hanging), container type, or color family. A search for artificial fiddle leaf fig trees brought up more than 30 results, including a simple but voluminous two-foot option from Noble House for $27, all the way up to a $480 option from Nearly Natural, which has a striking, top-heavy silhouette and comes in a slate planter. Our testers loved the Nearly Natural Artificial Boston Fern, which is sold in a set of two, for its realistic texture. For sales, navigate to Artificial Plants via the "Specials and Offers" section of the website.

_{Return policy: 90 days (one year for Home Depot cardholders) | Delivery options: In-store pickup, curbside pickup, or delivery through various carriers or Home Depot directly}

Michaels

If you love crafts you likely know all about Michael's, which is the biggest chain of its kind in North America. Besides its many retail stores, the company also has a website, although it can be a little tricky to browse: A search for "artificial plants" brought up fewer than 500 results, but a search for "fake plants" yielded about 4,500 results. And faux greenery can be either found under "floral" or "home decor," which can be a little confusing.

Most of the roughly 4,500 artificial plants are from Ashland and Nearly Natural, but there are also some from companies like Vickerman, a large distributor in Minnesota. One of Davis's favorites, the Kiwi Vine Spray, is no longer available, but the Natural Ting Bunches with Sola Flowers offer a similar wispy, delicate vibe. There's also an impressive array of affordable fake succulents, like the Artificial Succulents & Agave, which comes in an attractive ceramic pot.

Customers can find plants on sale or clearance by navigating to those sections under "Deals" and then selecting "floral."

_{Return policy: 60 days | Delivery options: In-store pickup, curbside pickup, or delivery through various carriers}

West Elm

Williams-Sonoma offshoot West Elm opened in 2002 and has dozens of stores around the United States. If you're looking to invest in an artificial plant you'll have for years, West Elm is a worthy destination. They don't have a huge selection, but the plants they do have are well-crafted and lifelike. Their inventory includes shrubs, topiaries, loose stems, trees, and traditional tabletop and hanging houseplants.

Davis loves their Faux Olive Trees, which she calls "incredibly realistic" thanks to the excellent detailing on the trunks. They also have eye-catching Faux Spiderworts, with distinctive pink and green markings. The website has sale and clearance sections, though artificial plants don't seem to be discounted very often. Besides keeping an eye on seasonal sales, shoppers should consider joining The Key rewards program, since they'll get coupon codes emailed to them throughout the year.

_{Return policy: 30 days | Delivery options: In-store pickup using ship-to-store delivery, shipping to home through carriers like USPS and UPS, pickup at UPS access points}

Target

While Target certainly doesn’t specialize in plants, it’s a solid option if you need to purchase some faux greenery while you're also picking up other affordable housewares. At the time of publication, the retailer had thousands of options, and it's easy to sort and filter results by size, seller, plant type, and more. And while Target's artificial plants tend to be attractive and incredibly popular, they don't have as many credible details as some of the more expensive brands when you look closely.

Davis likes the Threshold Designed with Studio McGee line, especially the 35-Inch Rubber Tree, which has subtly shaded leaves and stems with irregular markings. The spiky Faux Grass in a Basket will also add a distinctive texture to a shelf or table, while Magnolia's Hanging Hoya Plant is a pretty, cascading piece that often sells out quickly.

The return policy is designed to make things easy for customers. Items purchased online can be returned either via mail or to any store. You have 90 days to return your item (unopened and in new condition) unless it's a Target-owned brand, in which case you'll have a full year. Free shipping requires a $35 minimum purchase.

_{Return policy: Items must be returned within 90 days of purchase with original receipt, or one year for Target-owned brands. | Delivery options: Standard shipping (carriers vary), curbside pickup, or in-store pickup.}

Ikea

At press time, IKEA had about 100 options for fake plants, trees, and stems. Customers can order online or shop at one of IKEA's many locations. Options include the Fejka Orchid, which some shoppers used as an affordable wedding centerpiece, and the Fejka Weeping Fig, which stands more than eight feet tall and costs a fraction of what similarly sized competitors would. The Fejka Monstera plant, which has glossy leaves and subtle shading, is an especially good mimic of the real thing and comes in two sizes. “The two materials work together to form leaves that feel thin, sturdy, and just a little bit shiny—mimicking the look of a live monstera,” says tester Lindsay Lanquist.

If you're going to shop at IKEA, know that you might need to do a bit of finessing to get your plant room-ready. This might mean adding some live moss at the base or swapping in a custom container, as many tend to just be basic black plastic pots. Given the already-low prices, IKEA doesn't run a ton of sales, but you might find faux plant deals in the "Home Essentials Under $20" section (we saw nearly 2 yards of vine garland for $5) or the "Last Chance" area, which is organized by category. Also, note that plants aren't returnable, so you'll want to be certain before you commit.

_{Return policy: None for plants | Delivery options: Flat-rate delivery starts at $6 using local third-party companies}

Rustic Reach

Rustic Reach is a small, California-based company that sells on both Etsy, where they get rave reviews, and through their own website. All items ship from California, but the owners work with vendors in China and Southeast Asia to source items, some of which are made exclusively for them.

They have dozens of artificial flowers, vines, plants, and trees, although the website is a little tricky to navigate (it would be helpful to see items grouped in larger categories). Still, it's worth the time investment, since you'll find delightful choices like the Olive Trees, which Davis recommends, as well as unexpected items like Red Apple Stems, Cotton Bouquets, and Craspedia Globosa Bundles. They also sell accessories like containers, garden tools, and fabric.

Since Rustic Reach is a small company, you won't find tons of sales or a rewards program, but they do list discount codes on their website as well as Etsy. They have also offered discounts on Etsy, such as olive trees with damaged pots on Etsy for 50 percent off.

_{Return policy: 30 days; customer pays return shipping | Delivery options: Carriers include UPS, USPS, and FedEx}

ArtiPlanto

Based out of Montreal and New York, ArtiPlanto is a highly-regarded artificial plant retailer with dozens of gorgeous options. There aren't a ton of ways to search the site (it's basically size and plant type), but you can easily sort through your options for a specific plant in a few minutes.

The options are overwhelmingly realistic, with choices like the statement-making Zapo Bird of Paradise, the spiny Tunja Century Plant, and the appropriately scaled Dayla Flower Bouquet, which could easily be mistaken for the real thing. We also love that ArtiPlanto frequently uses eye-catching containers, so you may not need to repot your plant after receiving it. One downside of shopping at ArtiPlanto is that, because orders ship from Canada and must cross the border, products shipped to the United States are final sale. There is also a flat rate shipping fee of $14 for small orders, and orders over $100 ship free.

_{Return policy: 14 days in Canada, USA orders are final sale | Delivery options: Carriers such as FedEx and Canada Post}

FAQ

• When should you opt for a fake plant over a real plant?

  There are many reasons why you might choose to display artificial plants instead of living ones. They include:

  • You don't have the time or desire to care for live plants.
  • You or someone in your home suffers from allergies.
  • There are curious young children or potentially destructive pets living with you.
  • You'd rather not invest in something if you aren't sure you'll be able to keep it alive.
  • You want to display the plant in an area that doesn't get adequate sunlight, like a dim corner, or in a place that doesn't get maintained frequently, like a vacation house.
  • You need greenery decor for your outdoor space, and you want something that can withstand extreme cold or heat.

• What are some ways to tell if a fake plant will look and feel real?

  First, do some due diligence ahead of time. "If you're concerned about your plant looking fake, do some research online to see what the real thing looks like—with olive trees, for example, the undersides of the leaves are a different color," says Jennifer Davis, owner and principal designer of Davis Interiors in Minneapolis. Live plants have lots of natural variations, so you'll want to look for something that mimics those. "If it's a tree, really look at the trunk. Does it look like bark, or is the plastic a solid brown—which is a dead giveaway. Greenery should have shading and not be one solid color. You see changes in those little details the higher up you go in price," says Davis. She also likes to add live Spanish or reindeer moss to the bottom, especially if it's been covered in brown spray paint, which can be a telltale sign that the plant is fake.

• When’s the best time to buy a fake plant?

  At major home stores, Davis suggests keeping an eye out for the sales that happen around the warm-weather holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. If you're looking for holiday greenery, many places do "Christmas in July" events.