Why Do People Use Fake Plants?

Life is unpredictable. The rhythm of our daily lives can be interrupted without warning, and the trajectory of our entire lives can change in an instant. Despite our best efforts to pursue stable, secure lives, uncertainty is an inevitable bet when it comes to building relationships with other living things and increasing interdependence, including our relationships with plants.

The impending change can send people running toward the fixity of stationary objects. For houseplants, their artificial analogs offer many of the benefits of plants without the much effort we put into adjusting to light and room temperature. We get it. As much as we love our plant care routines, to say that dusting fake leaves once a quarter doesn’t sound like a vacation, compared to weekly watering and seasonal window rotations, would be a lie.

This frustration is not new. Making plant replicas is not a modern concept, it has its roots in an art form that dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, Rome, and China, followed by South America and parts of Europe. Fake leaves, flowers, and entire plants can be woven from silk and nylon, painted on paper, shells, and metal, blown from glass, sculpted from wax or clay, and feathered. Today, fake plants are almost exclusively made from polyester, thanks to its malleability and low cost.

However, artificial plants weren’t created solely for ancient aesthetics. They’re also used as scientific models and for educational purposes to more accurately depict plant species that are difficult to maintain indoors or have become extinct.

Are real plants more healing than fake ones?

Plants brighten a room in a way that few objects can. But what about artificial plants that look remarkably real? Studies have shown that live indoor plants can extend recovery time for hospital patients, improve concentration in the workplace, and even improve mood and mental health. Polyester stand-ins for plants can have very similar effects in waiting rooms and offices.

While fake plants are low maintenance, they don’t help clean our air or give back to society in a meaningful way like live plants do. Yes, real plants run the risk of dying at some point, but they’re biodegradable, so when their time is up, they return to the cycle of decomposition, growth, and rebirth. Another benefit of living landscapes is that real plants provide shelter for other microbes, insects and small animals, their root systems help prevent outdoor soil erosion, and their power converts gases into oxygen, which can help fight climate breakdown.