The most obvious reason for choosing faux plants over live plants is that they require no commitment or time, but still add texture and color to any space. There’s no watering, no feeding, no pruning, and no yellowing of dying leaves. All they need is a bit of cleaning or dusting off from time to time. For those who have hectic schedules but love being surrounded by greenery, artificial plants are a great solution. Decorators can choose from tall trees, ferns, tiny succulents, and a long list of other options.

Artificial plants are available in an array of materials, from plastic to foam, or even paper. You’ll also find silk, cotton, polyester, and rayon constructions. While fabric versions look beautiful and realistic, they tend to fray around the edges over time and fade when exposed to sunlight. The new generation of plastic plants is lifelike and durable. Look for details, including leaf gradations and vein patterns with natural-looking trunks and stems. Some plants come with tiny holes or rips on the leaves, simulating critter nibbles. Others, made from polyurethane foam, have a genuine feel when you touch them.

Once you’ve found the perfect artificial plant, the next step is to place it in the right spot. Setting your fabricated greenery near a window, on a windowsill, or mixed in among real plants adds interest and color to your decor and elevates the illusion of the artificial versions. Brighten up bare walls or patios with artificial hedge panels: adjustable, easy-to-install, lush greenery squares. They’re available in a variety of plant types, textures, and shades of green.

Many faux plants come in a lackluster pot and plastic dirt, but no rule says you can’t replant it in a prettier planter that fits your style or tastes. Add real potting soil to heighten the illusion. Moss, rocks, and other natural elements take things up another notch. Think outside of the box when it comes to choosing planters. Birdcages, teapots, urns, buckets, metal boxes, and wicker baskets make unique homes for your artificial greenery.

Have an area that boggles your decor skills? Hide a mass of cords, cables, and plugs or cover up pipes or other necessary-but-unsightly fixtures with an artificial tree or large floor plant. Artificial plants need no sunlight, so they’re an excellent option for spots that would be too dark for the real thing. Faux greenery can also dress up smaller spaces without making things feel overcrowded. If you lack floor space, consider a cascading hanging fern or hosta instead.

A circle of lovely faux greenery is an ideal space enhancer. Although holidays are a popular theme for wreaths, these decorative pieces can also be a part of your year-round interior design. A vast number of options are available on creative marketplaces and high-end home sites alike, with realistic sprigs of ferns, twigs, grasses, and colorful blooms to enhance your entry or porch. Check out craft stores where you can choose your favorite plant species, blooms, and other flora in a variety of colors and textures to create your own.

Wall gardens and modular wall planters add a natural element to interior spaces and outdoor living areas as well. With the trending popularity of exchanging real plants for artificial ones, you’ll discover lots of decorative wall gardens and room dividers with every size, shape, and texture of excellent fakes. The best versions look and feel realistic and are easy to clean. Plants mounted on wood, distressed metal, or stone have a more rustic look. If you’re more into contemporary decor, opt for glass or a shinier metal.

The world of artificial greenery has expanded tremendously when it comes to quality and availability, with gorgeous tree versions taking root within the trend. In addition to authentic-looking ficus, olive, fig, cedar, and maple trees, there are a variety of fruit trees to choose from as well. Lemon, orange, and apple trees are whimsical and fun, whether they’re brightening up a room or enhancing a patio space.

One of the bonuses of artificial plants and trees is that the stems often use a bendable material that allows you to shape them in a variety of ways to fill the space. Start at the bottom and work your way up, separating and fluffing the branches and adding nuances to the shapes of the leaves. Combine plants to create a one-of-a-kind indoor garden. If you love cacti, try incorporating faux succulents into the same pot to add even more color and texture.

Surround yourself with bouquets of your favorite flowers and never have to worry about watching the blooms fade and die. Generate pops of color that accentuate your interior colors. Most artificial flowers have bendable stems so that you can create a more realistic appearance. You’ll find gorgeous orchids, geraniums, calla lilies, peonies, and bromeliads in addition to popular favorites like roses, daisies, and sunflowers.