Buyer's guide: how to choose an artificial orchid

Loved for their outstanding beauty and elegance, orchids are excellent for brightening your interior with lasting colour.  

Opting for a faux orchid means you can skip the hassle and enjoy their stunning flowers all year round. Below, we’ll dive into each of our artificial orchid arrangements, their features, how to style them and more.

How to choose an artificial orchid 

Just like real ones, artificial orchids come in all shapes, sizes and colours to suit different styles and tastes. 

The right one for you will depend on the style you’re looking for, how realistic you would like your orchid to be and in turn, your budget.   

As with all artificial plants, those that sport a higher price point do so because of their superior quality materials, intricate details and higher level of realism. 

Below, we’ll dive into each of the artificial orchid plants in our range including their features and how to style them. 

Phalaenopsis orchid 

This beauty measures 70cm tall and 44cm wide with three orchid stems, making it our second largest artificial orchid.  

Our phalaenopsis orchid sits towards the lower end of the price range which makes it great for a birthday or housewarming gift, and it comes with a choice of pink or white orchid flowers. 

The lower green leaves have a waxy feel to them and are joined by several realistic exposed roots.  

Reaching up, its three orchid stems are supported by natural bamboo canes and have an internal wire which can be bent and positioned to suit your preference. 

On each flower the petals have a soft texture with a detailed centre, and at the end of each stem sits several small flower buds. 

With its classic style, we think the phalaenopsis orchid suits empty windowsills, sideboards and small tables where its gorgeous style can instantly brighten up your space and bring elegant charm to your interior. 

Vanda orchid 

Next on the list is the beautiful vanda orchid! This stunning artificial orchid has a similar base to the phalaenopsis orchid, with waxy green leaves and exposed roots, but it’s overall slightly more realistic for a number of reasons. 

The artificial flowers on the vanda orchid come in a choice of pink or purple which have lighter and darker tones to replicate old and new blooms. 

It also has three stems, however these ones vary in length which gives your orchid a more realistic appearance, as it looks like it has three separate stages of growth. 

The vanda orchid makes an excellent office assistant, perfect for sitting on your desk to bring some joy to your workday or sitting in your living room or kitchen to bring some elegant, everlasting colour to your interior. 

Onicidium orchid 

The smallest of the bunch, our sweet onicidium orchid makes up for its size with superior quality and super realistic looks! This style of orchid is also known as the ‘Dancing Lady’ and sports a bulb-like base with green exposed roots.

Unlike our previous two orchids, the leaves on this gorgeous faux shoot up and flair out before throwing out beautiful onicidium orchid flowers which come in either white or purple. 

This faux orchid also comes pre-potted in a sleek cement pot, so you can put it straight into your home with no faff of choosing a new pot!

Phalaenopsis blume orchid 

Our biggest and most impressive artificial orchid! The premium phalaenopsis blume orchid stands at 100cm tall and 50-60cm wide with 6 stunning flowers flaunting soft, pink petals. 

This orchid is at the upper end of the price range which is reflected in its premium quality. The phalaenopsis blume orchid has more leaves and flowers and an immense level of detail to pass both the sight and touch test!  

It also comes pre-potted in a heavy, matte, cement pot to suit any interior style, so you don’t have to worry about re-potting it. 

Its larger size makes this orchid more of a statement feature and looks wonderful sitting on side tables, or even as a floor plant with malleable stems that can be positioned to fill your space.   

Why are artificial orchids so popular? 

If you’ve ever put yourself through the trouble of owning a real orchid, you’ll know exactly how picky they are!  

They love bright light (but not direct sun), Regular watering and misting with rainwater, a bark-based orchid compost, and they typically only flower once per year! 

All of this, combined with their exceptional beauty, is the reason that artificial orchids are so popular. 

How to decorate with faux orchids 

Just like real orchids, our artificial ones are designed to be used indoors only. 

Depending on the size of your orchid, we think they look best sitting on side tables in your living room, or on a kitchen windowsill.  

Larger artificial orchids, like our phalaenopsis blume orchid, work quite well as floor plants to bring some elegant, eye-catching colour to bland corners.

How do you make a fake orchid look real? 

Aside from our general guide to making artificial flowers look real, we have some orchid-specific tips. Natural orchids like to let their roots grow out of the pot and don’t like having their roots sat in soil.  

To mimic this, choose a pot only a few centimetres larger than your faux orchids starter pot and let any exposed roots hang over the top, free from soil. Go one step further by sitting your plant in some bark or orchid potting mix. 

Top tip: If your faux orchid features exposed roots, make it extra realistic by keeping it in a clear pot. This will imitate an orchid’s natural habitat, allowing the roots to be exposed to the sun, and will really help to convince your guests! 

Choosing a pot for your faux orchid

Make sure to check the size of your orchid's starter pot on the details tab of the product page, then find a stylish, slightly larger pot to pair it with. 

Consider the style of your interior when choosing a pot for your orchid. If you’re going for an elegant style, something like a white vibes fold pot could help your orchid to stand out. 

If you’re more into bold, vibrant colours, try pairing your artificial orchid with one of our fun jazz plant pots in either purple or yellow. 

How to pot an artificial orchid

Re-potting your orchid only takes a moment. If they aren’t already pre-potted, our orchids come in basic black starter pots which are designed to sit inside of a larger, more decorative planter. 

All you need to do is pop your orchid into your new pot and fill in the gaps with some soil or stones. Then you can top it off with some moss for a realistic finish. 

If you need to, you can fill the base of your pot with a layer or soil or stones before adding your orchid, to make it taller. 

For more tips, read our full guide to potting artificial plants. 

How to clean a faux orchid

To maintain a fresh, lively appearance, it’s best to include your orchid in your usual cleaning routine. You can either wipe the leaves and petals with a damp cloth to remove any dust or take to them with a feather duster. 

For more help, discover our guide to cleaning artificial flowers and plants. 

Arranging a fake orchid

Each of our artificial orchid plants have metal wires inside of their stems which allows you to bend them into a natural position. 

When you unbox your faux orchid arrangement, they’ll be tightly packed to keep them secure, so you’ll likely need to bend their stems into a natural looking arch and straight out any leaves or petals with your fingers. 

For more information, check out our guide to arranging artificial plants. 

Need more help choosing a faux orchid?

If you have more questions about our range of faux orchids, get in touch. Alternatively, discover more guidance and inspiration.