Best artificial houseplants: stylish flowers, ferns and succulents for your home

We've lost count of the number of houseplants we've sadly had to wave goodbye to. Remembering to water (but not overwater) our plants while ensuring they get enough sunlight can prove tricky for busy households and making sure each plant is in the right position of the house to thrive in can be hard to get right.

But there's no denying that houseplants help with the overall aesthetic of a home. A green plant in a pretty pot can liven up a dull corner of your living room in an instant. If you're looking for a low maintenance way to add some greenery to your home, "artificial is the way to go" says Mumsnetter, DENNYCRANE and we're inclined to agree. Faux plants have come a long way and are slowly shaking off the somewhat tacky reputation that they once had. Some look so lifelike that unless you know, you really wouldn't be able to tell them apart from a living, breathing plant.

We're aware that choosing the right artificial houseplant can be difficult - you don't want to give the game away by investing in an obviously fake bloom - so we've taken to the Mumsnet forums for realistic recommendations as well consulting reviews and round ups to curate a selection of the best faux plants to buy right now, from monsteras to modern bouquets.

Here are the best artificial plants to buy this year.

1. Best overall artificial plant: Blooming Artificial Monstera

Price: £22 | Buy now from Blooming Artificial 

"I've bought three plants from Blooming Artificial and they are so good" - recommended by Mumsnet user, Winnie87

"I've bought a few different plants and really rate them" - tried and tested by Mumsnter user, zighead

Blooming Artificial is a company that Mumnetters rate and this monstera is one of the company's most popular faux plants. It's little wonder - it's a great way to bring a little piece of the rainforest into your home, without concerning yourself with watering worries.

The size makes this artificial plant extremely versatile. You could put it on your coffee table, on your work desk, or even on a sideboard. We love that you can choose the colour of the plant pot as well; that extra layer of personalisation means that you can ensure it fits in with your decor.

Key specs

• Size: 50cm

• Pot included: Can be added from £6

2. Best budget artificial plant: ASHINER 2-Pack Artificial Indoor Plants in Pots

Price: £9 (pack of two) | Buy now from Amazon

This pair of faux plants is a hit with Amazon shoppers. But then, you get two plants for under a tenner, so what's not to love?

The plants come with matching white pots, so you can split them between rooms if you want, or place them next to one another, as a matching set. They'd work especially well in a window-less room like a hallway or a bathroom.

Key specs

• Size: 20cm-31cm

• Pot included: Yes

3. Best outdoor artificial plant: Outsunny Artificial Palm Plant

Price: £49 | Buy now from Amazon

The price tag may seem high, but this plant is 140cm tall, with 20 palm leaves in total, so you're getting plenty of bang for your buck. And it's an easy way to add a tropical touch to your garden.

It's a very natural looking artificial plant and you can put it outside or bring it indoors, because unlike other artificial numbers, it's suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

Key specs

• Size: 140cm

• Pot included: Yes

4. Best realistic artificial plant: Blooming Artificial Yucca Plant

Price: £52 | Buy now from Blooming Artificial 

"Very life-like and good quality" - recommended by Mumsnet user, Winnie87 

This Yucca plant looks incredibly realistic according to online reviews and it's clear that a lot of attention to detail has gone into the design of the product.

You can choose between two shades of green; opt for a plant with dark green leaves or go for a lighter-coloured version. Each plant has three different shades of sword-shaped leaves and a realistic ribbed-style trunk.

Blooming Artificial is a Mumsnet favourite and if you invest in this Yucca, you can bring a tropical plant into your home without the stress of worrying about when to water it, how much sunlight it needs, whether it needs plant food and how often it might need preening and pruning.

Key specs

• Size: 130 cm

• Pot included: Yes

5. Best hanging artificial plant: JPGhaha 2 Pack Hanging Artificial Plants

Price: £11 | Buy now from Amazon

If you want to buy some artificial plants but you're not sure if you want to place them in your bathroom or in your back garden, then this is the set for you. These hanging plants are suitable for both outdoor and indoor use, so they're perfect if you’re looking for a bit of versatility.

They come as a pair, so each plant works out at around a fiver. These hanging plants are also well rated by Amazon shoppers for their good looks and great value. So if you're on the garden fence about artificial plants, then we'd say that this set is the perfect starting point.

Key specs

• Size: 82cm long

• Pot included: Yes

6. Best artificial succulent: Artificial Succulent Plants Pack of 4

Price: £16 | Buy now from Amazon 

This set of four mini pink succulent plants is beyond adorable. The plants are small and versatile, so you can move them around the house as you see fit, either as a set or as individual pots. We think they'd look especially good in a home office.

These plants are also exceptionally well reviewed on Amazon due to their realistic design. If you're not a fan of this pink shade, the set is available in a traditional green and a tropical red.

Key specs

• Size: 8.2com

• Pot included: Yes

7. Best artificial flowers: Bloom Modernist Bouquet

Price: £69 | Buy now from Bloom

"Their artificial flowers are fabulous. Expensive, but I’ve had my recent bunch over 7 years and they still look new" - recommended by Mumsnet user, HelgaHybrid 

"They are fantastic" - seconded by bluesky

There's a lot of love for Bloom on the Mumsnet forums, because unlike other bunches, these gorgeous faux flowers are designed to last. They're not particularly cheap, but in this instance, you get what you pay for.

In this bunch, you can expect to find fake eucalyptus leaves, orchids, a lily and a sprig of pink rosebuds. Not only are these flowers stunning, but most people would fail to notice they're artificial.

This particular bouquet was inspired by the 1950's flower arranger, Constance Spry.

Key specs

• Size: 30cm

• Pot included: No

8. Best potted artificial plant: Next Artificial Orchid In Pot

Price: £65 | Buy now from Next 

"(They) look really good and real" - recommended by Mumsnet user, diamond4u 

Add a bold pop of colour and vibrancy to your home with this fake bloom from Next. Orchids are notoriously hard to take care of but you can guarantee that this artificial alternative will always look bright and healthy, wherever it sits in your home.

We love the bright pink flowers and the gorgeous contrasting metallic plant pot it comes with.

Key specs

• Size: 63.5cm

• Pot included: Yes

9. Best large artificial plant: IKEA FEJKA Olive Tree

Price: £40 | Buy now from IKEA

"I can recommend the inexpensive IKEA fake ones!" - recommended by Mumsnet user, EarlLeighIndamornin

IKEA and artificial plants have become almost synonymous with one another, so of course the Swedish furniture giant had to appear at some point in this roundup.

This IKEA olive tree is big, it's realistic and it's affordable. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, it comes in a black pot, but you can choose a more decorative pot from Ikea from as little as £4.

Key specs

• Size: 135cm

• Pot included: Yes

10. Best tropical artificial plant: FloralStem Artificial Bird of Paradise Plant

Price: £55 | Buy now from Amazon

The Bird of Paradise Plant thrives in humid and hot climates, which probably explains why they're tough to keep alive at home in the UK.

With this tropical plant, you can enjoy a taste of the jungle at home, without worrying about how to care for it. This well-reviewed Bird of Paradise plant has three real-touch flowers and 18 real-touch leaves. It would look brilliant in the hallway or in the corner of the living room.

Key specs

• Size: 150cm

• Pot included: Yes

What kind of artificial plants are most realistic?

The most realistic plants are those where the manufacturer has gone the extra mile to come up with a design that looks true to life. To find something that's realistic, look for designs that incorporate different colours and textures. You should also keep an eye on recent reviews, as previous shoppers are quick to say if their artificial plant looks realistic or not.

What's the best way to clean artificial plants?

Get a cloth, spray some water onto your plant and give it a wipe down. If you'd like your plant to smell realistic, then make a tree-scented disinfectant and spray your plant down with that.

What is the best artificial plant to buy?

We picked Blooming Artificial's Monstera as the best artificial buy. This plant bagged our top spot because it's versatile, it's lifelike and Mumsnetters rave about this brand across the forums.

How we chose our recommendations

We spent several hours sifting through Mumsnet's forums for recommendations from our users on the artificial plants they rated most highly. We were also on the lookout for poor reviews of products to avoid.

We also consulted recommendations from experts, consumer websites and print media and made sure we included brands that regularly appeared in top 10 lists.

We then looked at reviews for each of our longlisted artificial plants, to check that previous customers were satisfied with their purchases.

By doing this, we whittled our longlist down and chose a top list that we think offers something for everybody.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.