What artificial flowers look the most realistic?

This is a great question and one we are asked all the time. While it sounds like a simple, the reality is the details are a little more complex. There are a number of different factors that go into producing a realistic artificial flower and in this article we will explain each one.

The short answer is that any artificial flower can appear super realistic if it is made the right way, kept clean, made with the right materials, styled correctly and placed in the right area.

Placement

The placement of artificial flowers comes down to 2 things… Where are you place them and what you place them in. Getting these two things right goes along way to making your flowers look more realistic. Glass vases are always a fantastic option to put your flowers in as it allows you to see not only the flower heads but also shape and texture of the stems. If you want to go that extra mile you can always add fake water to the bottom of the vase. There's not only looks great but it also keeps the flower stems in place so they don't move around over time.

Placing your artificial flowers in the right spot can be just as important as what you place them in. As an example placing and arrangement in a very dark and gloomy area of the house will mean they won’t look as good as they would in a brighter area of your home, where more light catches the colourful petals. Placing them in brighter areas means more of the intricate detailing is on display.
It's a great idea to play arrangements in prominent areas of your home or office. They naturally captivate everyone's attention so use that to your advantage.

Keeping them clean

Keeping your artificial flowers clean is a very simple way to make them appear more lifelike. The reason for this is that when dust forms on the leave and petals, a dull layer appears on the surface. This dull layer builds up over time and becomes darker and darker. As that happens less and less of the leaves and pedals natural colours shine through. So as dust builds up your artificial flowers would look less and less like like each and every day.

The great news is that it's very easy to keep them clean. Our favourite method is to wipe all the leave and petals with a damp microfibre cloth. Doing this regularly will ensure that your artificial flowers look as life like as possible for as long as possible. Please keep in mind that this will only work if you start with a high-quality artificial flower. Choosing a cheap and nasty fake flower will never look super lifelike, regardless of how clean it is.

Materials they are made with

These days artificial flowers are made from a variety of different materials. Each one has its own advantages and the price is reflective of the material they are made and the attention to detail. The quality of artificial flowers ranges from the exceptional right down to the tightest of budgets, so it’s important you think about what level of quality you’re looking for. Are you looking for the best and most lifelike flowers available? Or are you looking for something that is budget friendly? Or something in the mid-range?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions - it's really a matter of what you're going to be using them for.

Different Types of Artificial flowers

Plastic

Plastic plants are often thought to be more budget friendly. This is true to a certain extent. However there are cheap plastics and there are high grade plastics which can make artificial plants and flowers look very realistic.

In general, plastic flowers often appear less realistic than flowers made with other materials, because of the moulding and the way they are manufactured.
If you're looking for a very inexpensive artificial flower, maybe it's only going to be seen from a distance or will not be used for a long period of time, these can be a good, cost effective option.

Latex

Fake flowers main with latex are often referred to as real touch. These flowers not only look super life like, they also feel very realistic. These are often more expensive however they are a fantastic choice for placing in areas where they will be in close proximity to people. Are extremely convincing and look just like the real thing.

Silk

Silk artificial flowers are certainly in the more premium end of the market. While many flower retailers promote silk flowers, the truth is that they are not very common to see any more (in many cases it has become more of an overarching term to encompass all ultra-lifelike flowers). This doesn't mean they're impossible to get, but it does mean there are other materials that do a fantastic job of creating a life like artificial flower, without the hefty price tag.

Polyester

Artificial flowers made from polyester are great middle ground between the high-end latex, silk and plastics. Faux flowers made from polyester can be extremely realistic. They have all the visual characteristics of a real flower. The only thing that is missing is from polyester flowers is the real-touch quality. So these flowers look real, but they don’t feel real.

These are great options when your flowers will be seen from a short distance as they can look superbly realistic. If you’re searching for something that both looks and feel real, our pick would be to opt for blended materials, so you get the advantages of each.

Blended materials

Nowadays it's quite common to find artificial flowers made from a combination of materials. As an example many flowers are made from a blend of polyester, plastic and latex. This gives you fantastic benefits of a real touch flower, beautifully realistic leaves and a flower stem that feel and looks real as well.
So if you ask us what artificial flowers look the most realistic, these are the ones we recommend.

UV Resistance

Very few fake flowers are UV resistant, so be very careful when placing these in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight. If you're wanting to place faux flowers in those areas, be sure to spray them with the UV protectant spray first. This will make sure they keep their colour and won’t fade.

Price

The price of an artificial flower really comes down to several factors, including the material it is made from, the way it is made and the attention to detail is made with.

There are so many choices of different fake flowers out there so we are all very spoilt for choice. It really comes down to what type of artificial flower are you looking for for your project… Are you wanting something that is incredibly life like and convincingly realistic or are you searching for something that is more on the budget end of the scale that will only be seen at a distance? 

Styling makes all the difference

Styling your artificial flowers correctly makes the biggest difference in how realistic they look. Once you've ordered some artificial plants and unboxed them, you'll find that all the stems are vertical. The first thing you need to do is place them in your vase or chosen container, then think about how real flowers look and gradually style each stem. As an example, if you have a flower stem with a large flower at the top then in nature you would find that the stem itself is curved, as a result of the weight of the flower head.
You also want to have flowers stems at varying heights, so feel free to trim some of the stems to ensure that they don’t all look completely uniform. Remember, we’re aiming to replicate a real flower arrangement, so that means flowers at different heights, with stems pointing in different directions.
To give you a helping hand, refer to some of our flower arrangements to get a sense for how these are styled. You’ll notice stems sitting in artificial water, differing height and different flower varieties being mixed in together. These all help to create a more realistic appearance.

Our favourites….

Well, this is the easy part. We specifically created in flower arrangements based on the flowers combinations we like and what we feel looks the lost realistic. The easiest way to see which ones are the most realistic, is visit our flower arrangements (LINK) and get a sense for what you prefer. Each flower can be purchased as a pack of 6, so if you prefer to make your own, you certainly can.

In summary, knowing which artificial flower is the most realistic comes down to more than just a particular flower variety. It's a combination of factors that all work together to create a realistic replica.
If you're ever in doubt about what is going to look best with your particular project or home, feel free to get in touch as we are always happy to chat and offer some specific product ideas and suggestions for you.

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