We love everything about fiddle leaf figs, including caring for them and helping them thrive. However, a real fiddle can be a lot of work! If you love the look of fiddle leaf figs but just can’t bring yourself to commit to the upkeep, a silk fiddle leaf fig can be a great alternative to a real plant.
You might balk at the idea of an artificial plant. Even the phrase “silk fiddle leaf fig tree” might conjure up mental images of dusty, frayed, poorly made silk plants that appear fake from all the way across the room. But artificial plants have come a long way in the last decade or so, and you can absolutely find a lifelike fiddle leaf fig that looks beautiful and requires much less work than a living tree.
Here’s your guide to finding a gorgeous silk fiddle leaf fig tree and keeping it looking beautiful for years to come.
Why Buy an Artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig?
There are several advantages to buying a faux fiddle leaf fig tree as opposed to a living one.
Low maintenance: The biggest and most obvious answer is that a fake tree requires no water, fertilizer, soil, repotting, soil aeration, or pruning.
Increased placement choices: You can place your tree wherever you like, regardless of drafts, temperature, humidity, or lighting conditions.
Endless planter options: Faux fiddles require no drainage, so you can place them in any decorative planter or basket you like without having to worry about overwatering or mold.
Non-toxic: A silk fiddle leaf fig is also a great option if you really love the look of fiddle leaf figs but have a curious pet who likes to nibble on houseplants. The sap of fiddles—and all ficus varieties—contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause mouth, throat, and intestinal irritation as well as vomiting and excessive drooling when ingested. This sap is also highly irritating to bare skin and can even damage flooring and furniture. Not good! A fake tree eliminates this issue.
The perfect size: Fake fiddles also won’t try to outgrow your space. Fiddle leaf figs grow fairly quickly, and given the right conditions, can grow very large and require pruning to manage their size. You’ll never have to prune a fake tree!
All fake trees require is a little dusting and a few steps to prevent fading. This is as low maintenance as it gets!
Where to Buy a Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
There are lots of great-looking faux fiddle leaf fig trees on that market. Many of these are available in stores if you want to see them before you buy them (which is understandable). You can also buy a gorgeous silk fiddle online from a variety of retailers.
Here are some of our favorite places to buy a faux fiddle to beautify your space the easy way:
Is there anything you can’t buy on Amazon?
There are lots of silk fiddle leaf figs available on Amazon, but we’re partial to this lovely Nearly Naturals tree with its varied leaf shape and color, multiple trunks, and 6-foot height.
Pottery Barn is known for its high-end home furnishings, and we’ve found their faux fiddles to be high in quality and lifelike due to their funkier, irregular shape. They carry a few different sizes of silk fiddles, so you can easily choose one to suit your space.
This retailer carries a gorgeous faux fiddle that’s perfect if you like your fiddles on the slimmer side. The coloring and pattern on the leaves are extra lifelike, and the branches are fully bendable, so you can pose your tree how you like and switch it up when you want a change!
Wayfair’s multi-trunked, 5.5-foot tree has beautiful coloring and comes already potted in Spanish moss, so it’s ready to display as soon as you bring it home!
Best Locations for Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
The beauty of a silk fiddle leaf fig tree is that you can place it just about anywhere you want because it doesn’t require sunlight.
A lot of direct sunlight could potentially cause fading on the leaves—especially if the leaves aren’t UV-resistant—so right in a bright window might not be the best spot for your faux fiddle. (It’s like the opposite of a real fiddle!) But just about anywhere else is fair game.
Home
Artificial fiddles are perfect for darker corners that need a pop of green, or to break up wide, blank walls. Try placing your faux fiddle in the corner of a living room, home office, bedroom, even in a dark hallway!
Fiddles also look great when paired with furniture, plants, or art set at different heights, so play with ways to combine these design elements in your home.
Office
Silk fiddles are great for adding some life and color to office spaces, and they don’t mind the dry air or artificial lighting one bit.
Floor Standing
Larger faux fiddles make great floor plants, especially when displayed in beautiful pots, planters, or baskets. You can place a silk fiddle in any planter you like!
A silk fiddle can easily fill a whole corner or cover a blemish on a wall. Try placing yours near a short table, a colorful chair, or some beautiful art to see how well these different elements can complement each other and draw interest to a certain area.
Tabletop
Smaller faux fiddles can make beautiful tabletop plants. Try placing one on an end table, a hallway table, or even on a dining table!
Outdoor Fiddle Leaf Fig
If you love the idea of a fiddle leaf fig on your porch but don’t live in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 where fiddles can thrive outside, you can always use a silk one! Try to avoid direct sun if possible to prevent fading. Your silk fiddle will look amazing on a covered porch, no matter the temperature or humidity level!
Considerations Before Buying a Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig
Are you sold on getting a fake fiddle yet? Before you go shopping or browse your options online, here are a few things you may want to consider before you select your perfect silk fiddle leaf fig.
Height
How tall do you want your silk fiddle to be? Think about where you want to display your fiddle and maybe even take some measurements to get an idea of the height you’re going for. There’s nothing more frustrating than dropping a pretty penny on a beautiful faux fiddle only to realize it’s too short and underwhelming in the space you had in mind!
Also, consider the width of the space you’d like to fill. Would you be better off with a bushier, wider faux fiddle or a slimmer one?
Have some dimensions in mind before you buy!
Single Stem vs. Multi-Stem
Do you want a faux fiddle with one sturdy trunk and a lollipop shape, or do you prefer a bushier fiddle with several smaller trunks? Which would look better in the space you have in mind?
Envision your space with the different options and choose which you like best.
UV-Resistant Fiddle Leaf Fig
If you plan to display your silk fiddle leaf fig in a bright place, you may want to consider purchasing one with UV-resistant leaves to prevent fading. This can drive the price up, however, so if you’re getting a faux fiddle to fill a dark corner, you may not need to worry about this feature at all.
Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig Price
A silk fiddle leaf fig can easily cost as much as a live fiddle of a similar size (the advantage is that you don’t have to keep it alive). Consider your budget as well as the size and features you want. Are you willing to spring for a higher-end tree, or will a more budget-friendly tree meet your needs?
With or Without Pot
Some faux trees come already potted (sometimes permanently) and some come with a simple weighted base that’s meant to be hidden in a decorative planter. Would you rather have a tree that’s ready to display as soon as it arrives, or do you want to be able to switch out the planter as you please?
Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig Planters
One of the biggest advantages of a faux fiddle leaf fig is that you can display it in any planter you want without regard for drainage or mold growth, so long as you can fit the base inside. If it fits, it sits!
Here are some options for different ways to display your faux fiddle.
Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig Basket
Baskets are a beautiful way to display fiddle leaf figs.
Baskets can get moldy if a real tree is placed inside without a proper interior pot, but there’s zero risk to putting your fake fiddle in one!
We love these gorgeous seagrass belly baskets for displaying potted trees. They come in large and small sizes and are made of all-natural fibers, and no two are exactly alike. They lend a relaxed, beach-vacation vibe to your space and blend well with almost any color scheme and decor style.
Natural Cotton and Jute Planter
Cotton baskets are a great option if you love natural fibers, and they come in all kinds of sizes and colors. They’re also easy to find from a variety of retailers.
Woven rope baskets are also beautiful and come in different colors to work with the hues of your space.
Fiddle Leaf Pots and Planters
If you’re not into the tree-in-a-basket look, pots and planters are a great way to go! Here are some different options to consider.
Slate
Slate planters (or faux slate) often come in squared styles and are perfect if you like a modern, minimalist look.
Ceramic
Ceramic planters are classic and come in all kinds of colors, styles, textures, and finishes. The options are endless! Shop for the perfect unique planter online or choose a simple one to complement your decor.
Metal Planter
Metal planters can be beautiful and can suit any style or budget. Go for a uniquely crafted metal pot or even a simple metal bucket!
Fiddle Leaf Artificial Wreath
Looking for a different way to incorporate the fiddle leaf fig look into your space? You can also find beautiful wreaths made of artificial fiddle leaf fig leaves. And they don’t have to be green either! Use these to add a bit of unexpected leafy whimsy to a wall or door.
How Do You Care for a Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree?
While faux fiddles are super low maintenance compared to real fiddle leaf fig trees, they still require some care to stay looking their best! If you keep up on this care, though, your silk fiddle will look stunning for years and years. It just takes a few minutes every week.
Cleaning
The most important part of caring for a faux fiddle is keeping the tree well dusted, especially the fabric leaves, which can hold on to dust and become permanently damaged if they aren’t cleaned regularly.
If you dust regularly, a simple once-over with the feather duster will work most of the time. Every once in a while, you may need to clean the leaves a little more thoroughly with a dry or damp cloth. A can of compressed air can also be very effective for removing dust and debris!
On most trees, you may find that one side of the leaves is smooth while the other is more textured. The smooth side should be easy to clean, but you may need to take a gentle vacuum or cool hair dryer to the textured undersides if dust builds up.
Prevent Fading
Silk fiddle leaf fig trees are also prone to fading, especially if the leaves are not UV-resistant. It’s best not to place your tree in direct sunlight where the harsh sun can fade the colors more quickly. If your tree is in a bright room, it can also help to rotate the tree so that minimal fading will at least be evenly distributed around the tree, which will prevent obvious, uneven fading.
Treating the tree with a UV-resistant spray can also go a long way in preventing fading!
A Silk Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree = The Best of Both Worlds
A silk fiddle leaf fig tree can be a great way to spruce up your space with almost no extra work. There are plenty of beautiful, lifelike silk fiddles on the market to choose from, so you may sometimes even forget that the tree is artificial!
If you want the look of an impressive fiddle leaf fig but don’t feel up to caring for a real one, give a silk tree a try!
