Home > Articles > Artificial Plants: The Common Misconceptions

When it comes to artificial plants there a plenty of myths or misconceptions about the authenticity, expense and actual benefits associated with having fake plants in your office space. Whilst live office plants are relishing in the limelight, artificial plants have been left in the shadows with only limited exposure.

Things, however, are now changing and advances in the technology and materials used to produce artificial office plants have given plastic plants a much better chance on the commercial market. Business owners for example are realising that artificial plants require less maintenance and attention than real office plants and that despite their initial costs artificial plants have a much longer shelf life than their living counterparts.

As facilities managers become more aware of the health and well being found in live office plants they are also becoming more aware of the positive attributes associated with the humble plastic office plant. Ideas of plastic plants looking cheap and adding no aesthetic value to a space are rapidly becoming outdated and the common misconceptions attributed to artificial plants are being challenged.

Artificial plants not nothing like real office plants

One of the most common misconceptions about artificial plants is that they do not resemble real plants and have a habit of actually looking false. The obvious answer to this is that of course they look fake; they are fake. Artificial plants are exactly what they say they are; artificial plants are replicas of real office plants.

Designed to imitate real plants in size, colour and foliage pattern, the materials from which plastic plants are made have been advanced in recent years and as a result artificial plants are now almost impossible to recognise even up close.

Plastic plants are too expensive and they look cheap

One of the main reasons or excuses given by business owners for not investing in artificial plants is that they are too expensive. It is true that plastic plants will cost you more initially but you soon earn your money back on them thanks to their long lifespan and low maintenance costs. Unlike live plants, fake plants require little or no maintenance apart from a little light dusting every now and again, and providing that you take care of them will outlive a live office plant by years.

It is also unwise to assume that by utilising artificial plants instead of live plants you will look cheap or as though you are cutting corners. In environments where live plants cannot survive for very long it would be smart business sense to invest money in an artificial planted office display rather than throwing pounds after pounds on replacing live office plants.

Artificial plants become outdated

As with everything in life, popular décor ideas, themes and styles change within an office and sometimes it is necessary for office plants to be changed in order to fit in with a new design scheme. Most interior landscaping companies will be able to offer you a wide selection of artificial office plants enabling you to pick a range that best suits your office décor. In some cases these companies will allow you to rent artificial plants and change them accordingly or as and when you change your office design.

Fake Plants get dirty quickly

Whilst this is in part true, artificial plants can attract dust and dirt the upkeep they require in order to remain of a high quality is actually minimal. Unlike real office plants, artificial plants only need wiping down with a damp cloth every so often to remove the dust and they will look as a good as new again.

Real office plants require careful care and attention, watering, feeding and replanting in order to both survive and grow. Many office plant suppliers will do all this maintenance work for you but in circumstances where the plants in question are awkward or hard to reach locations, artificial plants are definitely the best solution.

It seems then that artificial office plants deserve more attention and that of the many problems or downfalls associated with them very few are actually true. For more details about the benefits of artificial plants or to enquire about living planted office displays.