Artificial florals have been a part of humanity for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians replicated florals using thin slivers of horn, and silk floral replications date back over one thousand and five hundred years ago in China. Ladies of the Imperial Palace ordered silk florals to be worn in their hair, a trend that spread through Japan, Korea, and further. The Victorian era saw lavish arrangements, floral bouquets, and an entire language of flowers through artificial and genuine florals.
Fake flowers and plants have come a long way since their origins over a thousand years ago! Today's technology and craftsmanship allow us to enjoy the glory of full blooms, luscious leaves, and delightful greenery so realistic it is hard to tell the faux from the real. And there are so many beautiful benefits with faux florals in our homes.
Today we're excited to share an extensive dive into every benefit you can enjoy with artificial flowers in your home.
1. Evergreen
When fake plants are made by a company that cares about every detail, you will enjoy your artificial flowers for a long time. In many cases, decades or more. With some simple steps to care for your faux blooms, you can keep them looking fresh and as realistic as the day you brought them home.
Dust weekly with a craft or paintbrush, and as long as the florals or plants are not created from latex or foam, you can even clean them with a damp cloth.
Are you tired of the same arrangement? Change it quickly by rearranging your florals into a new statement piece and recycling them into a craft project—the sky's the limit! Artificial plants and flowers are truly evergreen, as they can be reused, repurposed, and reinvigorated in countless ways.
2. Nothing to Sneeze At
Those of us who suffer allergies, especially those triggered by pollens, know the misery of pollen season and spring. Allergy symptoms for many people can be severe. Just a few of the symptoms of fragrance allergy or pollen allergies are:
• Headaches
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Tight feeling in the chest
• Worsening asthma symptoms
• Runny, stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Nasal congestion
• Runny, itchy eyes
• Itchy throat
• A skin allergy like contact dermatitis, which is an itchy, red rash
Artificial flowers are 100% pollen and fragrance-free, allowing many with severe allergies to decorate their home with beautiful plants they may never have been able to.
3. Time and Money Saving
Our time is precious and sometimes limited in today's fast-paced and hectic world. Maintaining healthy, happy live plants requires time and effort. Certain types of plants require specific amounts of sunlight, direct or indirect. Other plants require watering at particular times or special nutrients for their soil and monitoring humidity. At the end of the day, whether you frequently travel for work or have a long shift—many of us can't commit to caring for natural plants.
Artificial flowers and fake plants don't require sunlight, watering, unique placement, or soil monitoring. The only care artificial plants need is the occasional dusting!
When it comes to saving money, artificial botanicals never fade or whither. You don't have to worry about what florals are in or out of season, and there's no need to worry about fungus or gnats or purchasing a new bouquet every week for your home.
4. Mental and Emotional Impact
Including plants in your interior design provides an uplifting and welcoming ambiance and positively impacts the health and well-being of those in the home. And yes, artificial flowers, plants, and even faux trees and shrubs can offer the same benefits.
While artificial plants cannot filter the air in your home, the visual appeal, mood improvement, and stress reduction are shared between real and faux flowers. Green has long been known as a soothing color, and many plants and flowers mimic fractal patterns. This naturally occurring repetitive pattern is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and calming and relaxing.
Faux flowers and plants used to have a bad reputation for being fake. Today, thanks to technology and innovative materials, faux botanicals look natural and can feel real to the touch.
5. Pet Friendly
Some plants and flowers can be highly harmful to pets. Lilies, members of the Lilium spp. family is, in fact, highly poisonous to felines. Even the smallest amount of lily can cause severe and sometimes fatal kidney damage. Parts of the Sago Palm, Tulips and Narcissus bulbs, Azaleas, Oleander, Yew, Amaryllis, Autumn Crocus, and even Chrysanthemums are also highly toxic.
Artificial florals and plants, however, carry none of the toxicity risks, meaning you can display any of your favorite plants and flowers without the worry of pets nibbling something that could be dangerous to them.
6. Environmentally Conscious
While not every faux floral company is reputable, many companies strive to be more environmentally conscious daily. Companies that care about the environment are working to reduce and reuse many materials that would otherwise take up landfills and decades to degrade.
Additionally, many real flowers are grown overseas in South America and Africa, where the climate is more conducive to growing flowers year-round. However, those countries have little to no guidelines on the use of pesticides, as flowers are not considered food.
Since more cut flowers are imported, they have often flown thousands of miles in refrigerated airplane holds. The transport of flowers grown in Colombia and flown to the US is estimated to generate up to 360,000 metric tons of C02. That would be roughly the equivalent of 78,000 cars if they were driven for one year.
The idea is to get blooms from the field to a vase in your home within three to five days. On top of the carbon emissions from importing, flower growing contributes to high water use and pesticide chemical runoff. In some parts of Africa, flower farms are being blamed for consuming alarming amounts of fresh water.
Artificial flowers require no water or chemicals to last, and in colder climates, they do not require heated greenhouses.
Faux botanicals look great, help improve your mood, brighten up your space, are allergen free, pet-friendly, and better for the environment. What's not to love? Artificial floral arrangements take the long view of sustainability and beauty over the genuine any day.
