West Elm's Faux Plants and Flowers Look Like the Real Thing

Indoor plants are celebrated not only for the life they bring to our inner sanctums, but also for their sculptural beauty. A houseplant is often that one thing you need to complete your "look," or the perfect foil for a boring, all-white interior.

Indoor plants are considered must-haves in any stylish room worth its salt, and they're now considered design objects in and of themselves. But not all of us are blessed with proven green thumbs. And that's okay: We've discovered a bounty of artificial plants that look insanely real—and they're far cries from those ugly plastic ones your grandma never dusted.

When we had to repeatedly feel the leaves of one of West Elm's artificial bird of paradise plants, and then ask an employee to confirm its fakery, we knew we had found the Holy Grail of affordable, artificial indoor plants. Before long, we were running amok, caressing fake plant leaves, squeezing artificial blooms, and bending flexible branches.

Their ability to fool even the most eagle-eyed plant lover is due to the fact that many of the brand's faux plants and flowers are hand-painted and silk-screened, and most are even assembled by hand. Trust us, this faux foliage will trigger some serious double—and triple—takes.