Your Ultimate Guide to Buying Artificial Palm Plants

There’s no houseplant more versatile and timeless than the palm plant. With its tall foliage and thin, abundant leaves, they look at home in any space they fit in. From mid-century modern homes to minimalist, maximalist, and everything in between, you’d be seriously pressed to find a home a palm doesn’t work in.

So once you’ve decided to bring an artificial palm plant into your home, how do you choose? What do you need to consider before making your purchase? The good news is an artificial palm tree won’t suddenly outgrow your home (unlike real palm plants), won’t decide they don’t like where you’ve put them, and won’t require ever-increasing pots every six months or so.

To help you make the right choice of artificial palm tree you can keep in your home for years and even decades to come, we’ve put together the ultimate guide. Read on to learn everything you need to know!

What different types of artificial palm plants are there?

There are over 2,000 different palm varieties in the natural world, so there is also a huge range of different artificial palm plants available. However, most palm varieties look fairly similar, and most artificial plant manufacturers focus on the most popular varieties, so you won’t be overwhelmed by thousands of different options. Here are some of the most popular varieties of palm plant you’ll find artificial versions of:

• Artificial bamboo palm: the bamboo palm has plenty of soft fronds and artificial bamboo plants like ours have plentiful stems and multiple levels of leaves that give them a natural yet balanced look.
• Artificial Areca palm: the Areca palm and the bamboo palm are often the same plant, but the finish of these two plants will generally have a different appearance. While the bamboo palm has dark leaves with a shape like bamboo leaves, artificial Areca plants have a classic bright-green palm plant colour with leaves that fan out from the centre of the stem.
• Artificial banana canna: While the banana canna plant is actually from the lily family, their big, beautiful fan leaves make them an adopted member of the palm plant, at least when it comes to shopping for palm plants for your home. The artificial banana canna is an incredibly realistic plant and has numerous stems and big, wide, gently pointed leaves. If you’re looking for a palm plant with a tropical look, the banana canna is a perfect choice.
• Artificial kwai palm: the kwai palm is a type of Hawaiian palm that has a tree-like appearance. The leaves all start at the same height and then splay out like the top of a tree. The stems are long with numerous fronds and are bright green.
• Artificial paradise palm: also known as a “Kentia” palm, these palms have that classic palm plant shape. These palms are almost indistinguishable from the Areca palm. A Bird of Paradise plant may also sometimes be labelled as a paradise palm, and while not technically correct, are another beautiful option if you’re looking for a tropical plant with a similar shape to a palm plant.
• Artificial parlour palm: parlour palms is the umbrella term for all the types of palm plant we’ve covered so far, such as bamboo and kwai palms. This name comes from their popularity of being placed in the parlour when they first became popular houseplants in Victorian-era homes.
• Artificial date palm: if you’re looking for a palm tree that will look like the trees that line the beaches in Santa Monica and other more tropical locations, this is it. The date palm is the quintessential palm tree, and so isn’t something most people will have in their homes. However, if you’re a business looking for a statement, this may be the artificial plant you need.
• Artificial cycas palm: a cycas palm is a little like a miniature date palm, with a thick, orange-coloured trunk where old leaves have fallen off as the plant grows.
• Artificial fan palm: fan palms have large, circular-shaped leaves with fronds stemming from the centre of the leaf. These are a good alternative to the more traditional palm plant shapes, and artificial fan palms have a much more even distribution of leaves than the real thing.
• Artificial phoenix palm: Phoenix palms are another type of palm that look a little more like the traditional palm tree (date palm), though some designs look more like paradise palms.
• Artificial Rhapis palm: Rhapis palms are like a cross between the fan palm and a paradise palm, with lots of hand-shaped leaves stemming from the stems in the centre.
• Artificial Monstera: Monstera aren’t actually a type of palm tree, but you’ll often find artificial monstera that has a design that resembles a palm plant. If you’re looking for a palm plant with a broader, more interesting leaf shape and deeper colour, look at our Monstera.

How to Choose the Size of Your Artificial Palm Plant

The size of your artificial palm plant is just as important as the type you choose, especially if you choose a palm plant with thicker leaves, as it will have a bigger presence than one with thin leaves. Make sure you measure the space you want your new palm plant to fill. The good news is artificial plants don’t change shape, so you can carefully measure your space and be sure that your plant will fit.

Don’t just measure the height, but also consider the width of the space. Note down the measurements, and then think about how big you want the plant to be. If you want a large artificial plant, then consider where you want the majority of foliage to be. If you choose a parlour palm, you’ll be able to choose one with an even distribution of leaves instead of most of the value at head height, as this can be a pain to live with.

Don’t forget to consider your pot. We’ll cover your choice of pot shortly, but think about how much height it’s going to add to your artificial palm plant. For example, a plant stand may add an extra two feet of height, while a normal ceramic pot will add an inch or two.

Don’t be afraid to go big, but if you’re dealing with a narrow space such as a hallway, make sure you take the width of the plant in mind. You may think brushing past a plant won’t bother you, but it can get irritating fast. Fortunately, there are plenty of narrower palm plants to choose from as well as wide plants that make a statement.

How to Choose the Right Pot for Your Artificial Palm Tree

The benefit of artificial plants is you don’t need to worry about giving them space to grow or watering them, so you can choose any pot or planter you like. That said, conventional pots and planters will probably be your go-to, besides woven belly baskets that have become so popular in recent years.

Palm plants generally suit neutral-coloured pots, so that’s what we’d recommend unless you’ve got a bold décor choice in mind. We love black, natural concrete, and white.

While we recommend neutral colours, playing with the textures is always a good idea. We have a wide range of textures and shapes in stock, so browse our range of planters to find the perfect one for you. From natural textures to geometric shapes, you really can’t go wrong as long as you use a colour that fits with the plant and your décor.

How to Style Your Artificial Palm Plant

Styling plants, like the rest of your interior décor, can become an art form, so experiment and see what works for you. That said, you don’t have to go it alone! We’ve got some great ideas for how to style your artificial palm plant:

1. Place your palm plant in a basket by your couch to add more dimension than yet another side table
2. Place in front of big windows for a little shielding from direct light and to keep nosy eyes out without having to use blinds.
3. Place in a plant stand to lift the plant off the floor and add height to your room.
4. Add a few LED fairy lights among the leaves for soft evening lighting.
5. At Christmas, add small baubles to the leaves – how effective this is will depend on the type of artificial palm tree you choose, but the effect is very pretty and a great alternative to packing your artificial palm tree away for December.
6. Use two artificial palm plants to frame doorways, especially those that transition from inside to outside. We love using tall, rectangular pots for this.
7. Place a small artificial palm tree in a large bathroom to add greenery without the difficulties of caring for a live plant in such a humid space.
8. Place by the window in your home office (or the space you use for work) to soften the direct light.
9. Place behind an armchair to create a relaxing reading nook.
10. Use in a basket beside your bed instead of a bedside table to give your bedroom a relaxing, tropical feel.

Other Considerations for Buying Artificial Palm Plants

We’ve covered the major topics you need to think about when buying an artificial palm tree, but there are a couple of other considerations.

The first is if you plan to use your artificial palm tree outside, make sure it’s suitable for outside use. Any artificial plant can be moved out onto the patio for a summer party, but only those designed for outdoor use can endure the weather changes throughout the year. If you use a plant that’s designed for indoor use only outside, it will likely become damaged very quickly.

Another consideration is cost – don’t be tempted to buy an artificial plant from a major homeware store when you’re shopping for other homeware. While you may be lucky enough to stumble upon a gem, most of them are cheap, and look it, too. If you want your artificial plants to look luxurious and like the real thing for years and even decades to come, you need to invest in quality.

Look at the materials used and consider if it’s something you’d be proud of having in your home. Artificial plants won’t cost you anything in pot upgrades, water, or time, so it’s well worth the investment upfront to get the best quality plant you can.

Where can I buy realistic artificial palm plants?

If you’re looking for realistic artificial plants, whether you’re looking for a single artificial palm tree or a myriad of houseplants to fill your new home or business, we’re here to help. Our range of artificial plants is of the highest quality and all are made with natural or natural-look materials, making them almost indistinguishable from the real thing. To explore our range of artificial palm trees and other quality artificial plants, click here.