Artificial plants can instantly transform a boring outdoor space into a mini oasis – if you are selective about the ones you choose.
Here, we’ve carefully compiled a selection of the best artificial outdoor plants, to complement your outdoor space.
So we will avoid any cheap plastic plants that at best bear little resemblance to an actual plant – and even worse will turn that unnatural shade of sickly blue after a few short weeks in the sun.
The ones we’ve chosen, all have that extra attention to detail. The topiary box hedge trees and cypress trees we have chosen, for example, have about a month’s worth of growth spurt – so they’re never going to look like solid round balls of green plastic leaves. They are also highly UV resistant so they’ll never turn blue on you.
What’s more, like for like, high-quality outdoor faux plants are usually cheaper than the real thing. That makes them worth every penny – especially when you consider that they won’t die, don’t require any looking after, and they won’t go leggy, outgrow their situation or ever look any less than 100% healthy.
The table below contains our selection of the best ones out there, but we also have better photos of our picks and detailed reviews including why we chose each one.
Top Pick: Succulent Hoop Wreath by IdahoWreathMaiden
Shop owner Molly makes beautiful custom-made hoop wreaths, like the one you can see here and in our main image above. This one measures 16″ in diameter.
Succulents naturally lend themselves well to artificial plant displays and are often nearly identical to the real thing.
We love the blend of colors Molly incorporates into her gorgeous natural-looking arrangements.
Molly will even make you a custom 18” or 24” diameter wreath with succulents if you wish.
What We Like
- High-Quality Faux Leaves – There’s nothing about the leaves of the succulents that looks too uniform or like they’ve been cut with a cookie cutter.
- A Varied Selection of Succulents – There’s a nice variety of plants giving it a high-end look.
Things to Consider
- You might want to consider that due to the nature of the display it may not be best suited to anywhere that may be subject to adverse weather conditions.
Molly also makes other styles which you can check out here.
Also Great: Hanging metal bucket with faux succulents by AndSucculentsDesigns
This is another fabulous succulent arrangement. As you can see in the large photo below, it has a flat back so it’s ideal for hanging on a wall, or door, or for standing flat against a wall.
The faux succulent display comes in a galvanized metal bucket measuring approximately 9” by 6”.
We’ll be looking at another faux succulent arrangement from AndSucculentsDesigns next.
Also Great: Extra Large faux succulent arrangement centerpiece in a black metal container by AndSucculentsDesigns
Troughs and Planted Containers
We’ve absolutely fallen in love with this magnificent statement piece.
This one comes with a black metal planter, so it would be better suited to a covered porch.
It’s 23” long by 4” wide and it’s stuffed full of beautiful and colorful, faux succulents.
There are several other designs and sizes to choose from in the AndSucculentsDesigns shop on Etsy. Below is a smaller (8.5 x 4.75 x 3.5″) wooden trough display and the photo below that shows a 12 x 6 x 3″ display.
What We Like
- High-Quality Faux Leaves – Again, there’s nothing about the leaves of the succulents that looks too uniform and there’s nothing plastic about the look of the plants.
- Wide Selection of Succulents – The trough is filled with a wide variety of colors and textures from the wide selection of succulents used.
Things to Consider
- The pot itself may be the only drawback. The metal could rust and the wood may start to deteriorate eventually. This may not be your best choice unless it’s placed in a dry area.
Hanging baskets filled with cascading plants are a fabulous idea – in theory. In practice, they will dry up like the desert as soon as you take your eyes off them for a minute, and they have such a disappointingly short window before they start to look past their best.
Substitute real plants for the right artificial plants, and your hanging basket will be maintenance-free and look beautiful all year round.
Also Consider: All-Weather Leather Fern Bush 28″ Wide 7 Sprays of Lifelike Leaves Indoor Outdoor Use by FloralHomeOnline
Pants for Hanging Baskets
Kathy Smith from New Jersey, United States sells an amazing selection of very high-quality faux plants and flowers for both indoors and out.
Although made from plastic you’d never notice. This delicate and detailed fern is a stunning example of the high standard of plants Kathy sells in her shop. The fern looks like a standard-size artificial house plant from the photos, but it’s large – a full 28 inches wide! It would be perfect for a planter or would make a fantastic display as a hanging basket.
What We Like
- Highly Detailed High-Quality Faux Plant – This is just one plant! You’d normally have to buy two or three to get the same amount of fullness that this one gives you.
- Large Display – It looks smaller in the photo than it actually is. It’s over two feet wide.
- Suitable for Indoor or Out – It would look fabulous in a sunroom that would otherwise be too hot to grow a real one successfully.
Things to Consider
- This is a large display, and as with all faux plants, for a more realistic look it will look better placed at more of a distance. So you may want to consider where you intend to place it.
Artificial plant panels are both popular and useful for screening off unsightly areas of a yard or for providing privacy and shade. That being said, the market is saturated with cheaply made green plastic squares that bear zero resemblance to a natural plant and wouldn’t convince anyone!
We’ve picked one set, however, that knocks all the others out of the park!
Another Worthy Mention: Artificial Boxwood Panels by FloralHomeOnline from Etsy
These are exceptionally high-quality 20 by 20 inches square panels and they come in sets of 2, 4 6, or 12. UV and weather-resistant they won’t fade, become brittle or fall to bits.
The panels can be cut or bent to shape if required and they attach easily to any fence or wall.
As you can see in the close-up below, the panels have lush, dense, foliage and replicate different lengths of growth. What’s more, they provide 98% shade!
What We Like
- Realistic Looking Dense Foliage – The uneven (non-uniform) growth really helps the overall effect to look more realistic.
- Suitable for a Number of Different Situations – It’s easy to assemble and can even be placed on a curved surface.
Things to Consider
- Cost – If you have a large area to screen, you’ll need a lot of panels. So, depending on how many you need, the cost may be considerable.
There’s a world of difference between the artificial topiary trees we have chosen in this section, and the ones you usually find out there.
A green mound of plastic on a stick is not going to do your outdoor space any favors nor will it convince anyone that it’s real – these artificial ornamental topiary trees are different.
Editor’s Pick: Nearly Natural 46” Boxwood Artificial Topiary UV Resistant
Nearly Natural specialize in high-quality faux plants.
If you a looking for an artificial indoor tree you’ll see they feature a few times in our top picks.
Their faux plants have that extra attention to detail.
This is due in no small part to the fact that they hire head designers who have years of experience and extensive knowledge of the live plant business.
If you look at the details, for a start, they are not all one solid color, they have a natural shabbiness to them and the trunk is broad, uneven, and exceptionally realistic.
What We Like
- Dense Faux Foliage – The slight shabby look perfectly replicates how the plant would look in nature, and it’s this that sets it apart from lower-quality artificial plants.
- Natural Looking Trunk – It even has tap roots!
Things to Consider
- The plant doesn’t come with a pot so you will need to buy one separately.
Another Great Option: Northwood Calliger 4.6’ Artificial Topiary Triple Ball Boxwood Trees
These 3 tiered topiary box trees have multiple layers of dense variegated green leaves made from durable colorfast plastic so they are certainly made to last!
Infused with an advanced UV inhibitor, to protect them from fading in the sun, these Buxus trees come with a 7″ wide by 5.9″ high pot – ready for you to sink straight into a pot of your own choice.
You can see the final effect in the photo below.
What We Like
- Dense Faux Foliage – In nature, leaves don’t all grow evenly and this is what makes this one so much better than the cheap ones you see out there.
- Natural Looking Trunks – It even has tap roots!
Things to Consider
- No Pot – They don’t come with a pot so you will have to buy one if you don’t already have one.
Another Great Option: Two 56-Inch Outdoor Artificial Boxwood Double Ball Topiary Trees
The product image, left, just doesn’t do this one any justice I know, but if you look at the photos of these trees in the customer reviews for these artificial trees on Amazon you’ll get the idea of just how realistic they look.
Below is a close-up of the weather and UV-resistant dense green foliage of the two 56 inches outdoor artificial Boxwood trees we’ve featured above.
What We Like
- Natural Looking Foliage – There’s plenty of foliage on these boxwood trees and they have non-uniform leaves.
Things to Consider
- No Pot – They come in weighted pots but you will need to replant them in pots of your own.
Another Great Option: Two 4 Foot 3 Inch Artificial Cypress Spiral Topiary Trees by Silk tree Warehouse
If you’d like something a little less formal than the tiered topiary Buxus trees we’ve just looked at, these are a fabulous alternative.
You can see just how detailed the foliage is in this pair of twisted cypress trees. The trees have a much softer and fluffier look.
You can see just how detailed the foliage is in the photo below.
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