Just popping in on this sunny Saturday with a quick, urgent announcement about fake plants: Target currently has very convincing faux fiddle leaf figs from Threshold. I picked up a few to test at the beach house, where real plants are high maintenance for renters, and after a little tweaking they look surprisingly believable. Here are my observations and a simple guide to making them look real in your home.
- Price and availability: The larger model is priced around $99 and the smaller around $55 in stores. I noticed they’ve been selling fast and some locations had limited stock, but Target often places them on sale, so it’s worth checking.
- Store appearance: Under Target’s bright fluorescent lighting they can look neon green and obviously fake. Don’t write them off just because they scream “store lighting” — they change dramatically once you bring them home.
- Pot and base proportions: They come in pots that are proportionally too small and the transition where the trunk meets the “soil” looks artificial. That’s an easy fix with a larger planter and some styling.
I brought a couple home to experiment. The results were so good I ended up buying five total—two large and three small—to use across the beach house and a few rooms that don’t support real fiddle leaf figs. If you want a low-maintenance alternative to a living tree, these are worth considering.
How to make Target’s faux fiddle leaf figs look real:
- Re-pot into a larger planter. Moving the faux tree into a bigger pot solves the awkward base proportion and hides the fake soil. I used inexpensive white IKEA planters, which make the tree look fuller at the bottom and more natural overall.
- Adjust the stems and leaves. In-store they arrive very compact and compressed. Gently bend and fan out the stems and leaves to create a fuller, more organic silhouette. This step alone transforms the plant from “store display” to something closer to a living specimen.
- Assess color in your home lighting. Under home lighting the neon effect mostly disappears. Placed near real fiddle leaf figs, the faux leaves matched color closely; the slightly brighter new-leaf look is actually a helpful disguise because many real figs have brighter tips too.
Accessories help the illusion. I like placing the planters on little wheeled plant stands so they’re easy to move and rotate. Rolling stands also raise the plant slightly, improving proportions and presence in a room. A few decorative touches around the base—like a layer of moss or decorative stones—can further conceal the plant’s manufactured base and add realism.
There are two sizes at Target: a larger floor model that’s great for corners or between windows, and a smaller version that works well on mantels, tabletops, or in compact spaces like bathrooms. The smaller option is useful where a full-size tree would be overpowering.
If you place a real fiddle leaf fig directly next to a fake one and inspect them from a few inches away, you’ll probably spot the differences. In casual settings, though, they’re quite convincing. Real figs have naturally irregular growth and waxy, glossy leaves; the synthetic leaves on these faux models actually mimic that sheen, which helps sell the illusion.
Consider the context: if you have a bright room and enjoy plant care, a real fiddle leaf fig is a lovely option. But if your room doesn’t receive strong light or you tend to kill houseplants, these faux figs are an excellent alternative—low maintenance, long-lasting, and much less likely to become a forgotten casualty.
In terms of value, these Threshold faux figs are competitively priced compared with other large artificial plants on the market. A large real fiddle leaf fig of comparable size can also be pricey and requires ongoing care, so for many people the fake version is a smart investment. If you spot them in stores, consider picking one up to test—if it doesn’t work in your space you can usually return it to your local Target.
I bought multiple units because they were selling fast at the stores I visited. If you can’t find them immediately, try checking a few locations. When styled and placed thoughtfully, these faux fiddle leaf figs look great and provide the leafy impact of a real tree with almost none of the upkeep.
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