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In 2020, when we were staying at home, my friend bought me three plants — a snake plant, a peace lily, and some sort of ivy — and by 2021, they were all dead. Despite spending most of that year in my extremely small Brooklyn apartment with a bunch of time to take care of these plants, I had managed to kill all three. After that, I decided that I wouldn’t get any live plants unless I had a backyard, a fire escape, or access to a patio. But after visiting my friends’ large collection of (live) plants in their apartments, I started to want a little dash of greenery in my own place.
So when we began testing fake plants for our Best List, I volunteered. I’ve always felt a little hesitant about investing in fake plants because usually, you can tell from across the room that they’re not alive. Not that I want to deceive friends and family into thinking I can cultivate a plant, I just don’t want anything that looks cheap or plastic in my space. Basically, I didn’t have very high expectations.
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I tested two plants for the Best List: One was a total dud that had dried hot glue hanging off of it and the other was the Natural Touch Pothos Artificial Plant from Afloral. It’s become my favorite piece of decor, mostly because it has fooled my friends into thinking that it’s real on several occasions.
The thing I love most about this fake pothos is that the cascade of leaves looks so realistic. The stems feel rubbery, so you can adjust them to fall in the way that you wish. The leaves are made of plastic, but they feel thin and artfully crafted and don’t give off that plasticky sheen that some leaves of fake plants do. The color in the leaves is also cleverly varied, so it feels homegrown rather than manufactured. I think the best detail is that there are some stems with no leaves, so the plant doesn’t feel unnaturally overfull.
This pothos is also pretty versatile. I currently have it sitting in a vase on my bookshelf, but you could put it in a hanging planter or drape it across the top of a cabinet. Sure, it is a slight downside that it doesn’t come in a vase, but I think you can pick out a vase that suits your style (just make sure it’s a heavy-duty one, because this plant is heavier) instead of being stuck with a basic vase.
I can see this fake plant surpassing the lives of my real plants (RIP) and moving from apartment to apartment with me in New York City for years to come. I don’t foresee myself being able to cultivate such a healthy-looking, live pothos in the near future, either. It might be a little on the pricier side, but it’s absolutely worth it, in my opinion.