The Psychology of Green: How Indoor Artificial Plants Boost Mental Wellbeing

You might have experienced that calmness that comes naturally when you enter a room filled with green plants. The atmosphere seems to become fresher, your body relaxes and the whole thing appears to be a little simpler. This is not something you have just thought. Our brains are wired to respond to nature in very strong ways, even when it is not real but just a facade of nature indoors.

Life nowadays is still heavy, although we might think it is lighter. Because of the nonstop notifications, the never-ending to-do lists, and the lure of social media, most of us generally stay indoors more than we are going out. In Australia, the data informs us that almost 75% of teenagers experience feelings of depression or anxiety. It is, therefore, a great indication that peaceful and low-effort kinds of spaces at home or in the office is what really counts.

The good thing about it is that you do not have to possess gardening skills or have perfect sunlight in order to reap the benefits of greenery. The research indicates that even the presence of artificial plants can evoke, to a large extent, similar positive brain responses as in the case of real plants. So, in this blog, we will find out in what ways fake plants can be useful and what you need to take care of.

Why Green Feels So Calming

So, why do we feel so calm? There’s a fair reason behind it. The colour green itself signals safety and balance to our brains. It is a colour of restoration. You can also place yellow- or orange-coloured plants to bring energy to a room. Your colour decisions are really the key to your mood.

Our brains also love the repeated organic patterns found in nature. These patterns (known as fractals) feel familiar and calming. They create a sense of order without being rigid. Finally, we have an inbuilt attraction to natural forms. This connection still works even when the greenery is a convincing copy of the real thing.

Real and Artificial: What’s the Honest Difference?

While both offer benefits, they do different jobs. Here’s a balanced look at what both offer:

Feature	Real Plants	Artificial Plants
Air Quality	Purify air, release oxygen	No air change, purely visual
Maintenance	Need watering, care, sunlight	No watering or light needed
Allergies	Can trigger reactions	Allergy-friendly
Consistency	Can wilt or die	Always lush, year-round
Mood Impact	Strong sensory and scent benefits	Visual calm, steady mood lift
Cost Over Time	Ongoing care costs	One-time purchase, minimal upkeep

Here’s the thing. Real plants might have a slight edge for deep relaxation. However, quality faux greenery still delivers very meaningful psychological benefits. They are perfect for places where real plants would struggle to survive.

Mental Health Wins with Faux

Let’s come to your mental health. Artificial plants really work wonders in supporting your mental well-being. It's an easy win that offers consistent comfort without any added pressure. Here are a few standout benefits:

• Stress and Anxiety Relief: Looking at greenery, even artificial plants, helps your mind relax. The fresh, lifelike look signals calm to your brain, slowing your breathing and easing anxious thoughts.
• Productivity and Focus: Greenery helps your mind relax and recharge. The green colour is easy on your eyes and creates a calm space that helps you think clearly, stay focused, and be more creative.
• Consistency and Control: Artificial plants give you the green colour of nature, which is stable throughout the year. You won’t feel guilty for brown leaves. It decreases your mental capacity and gets rid of small stressors in your day.
• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Good-quality faux are also allergy-friendly and pet-safe. Thus, the benefits of nature can be given to more people, making spaces more inviting for everyone.

Design Choices That Feel Natural

The way to make a fake look fab is all in the details. With just a few plants, you can achieve a vibe that is not only real but also very relaxing. Concentrate on these design concepts:

• Make a Convincing Selection: Find plants that have different textures and also slight colour changes. The best is to be made of real-touch materials. Also, don’t choose something that looks too glossy or plasticky.
• Placement Hack: Big plants can be mixed with the shelf hanging vines and small desk plants to create a perfect look. Changing the size of the leaves and the height will give you more depth and a natural flow.
• Zone Your Calm: Place greenery where you will see it most during stressful moments. This could be by your front door, in your desk's sightline, or beside your bed.
• Use Light and Shadow: Position your artificial plants indoors where natural light can hit them. Or use a warm lamp to create soft, realistic leaf shadows.

Mood Recipes for Every Room

You can use artificial plants indoors to set a specific mood in each area of your home. It is all about strategic placement to support what you do in that space. Here are some simple room-by-room placement ideas:

• Home Office: Place one Potted Bushy Artificial Tree behind your computer screen and a Small Potted Artificial Jasmine Plant in your peripheral vision. This setup can help make video calls feel calmer and improve your focus. The Small Potted Artificial Jasmine Plant placed in your peripheral vision is equally important. Even a glimpse of greenery has been shown to stimulate positive psychological responses, improving concentration and reducing stress levels without being a direct distraction. This subtle addition creates a micro-environment that feels less sterile and more invigorating.

• Living Room: Add a few Small Potted Fern Plants on bookshelves and an Artificial Black Bamboo Tree near your favourite reading chair. These touches signal that it is time to relax and unwind. The focal point, the Artificial Black Bamboo Tree near your favourite reading chair, is a masterful design move. Bamboo is often associated with peace and strength, and the striking black color adds a touch of modern sophistication and drama. Its height creates a visual anchor for your reading nook, providing a sense of enclosure and privacy without blocking light.

• Bedroom: Place an Artificial Potted Taro Plant on your bedside table. This helps your eyes relax first thing in the morning and before sleep. The reason this setup works is rooted in visual psychology: when you wake up or just before falling asleep, your eyes are often sensitive and seeking a soft, non-stimulating focus. Instead of immediately focusing on harsh digital screens or bright, distracting objects, your gaze falls upon the soothing, natural green hue and organic form of the plant.

• Small Spaces: You can use small plants like Artificial Flowering Boxwood Plant or White Flowering Potted Plant. These options add life without making your space feel cluttered. The key benefit here is the balance they strike: the flowering element provides a gorgeous splash of contrast and 'life'-be it the dense green texture of the Boxwood or the bright, fresh pop of the White Flowers-which naturally draws the eye and lifts the overall mood of the area. Because they are artificial, they demand virtually no footprint beyond their small pot, ensuring your precious surface area remains free and your space feels airy and well-organized, achieving that coveted look of curated elegance without the clutter.

Colour Playbook for Faux Greenery

To take your fake plants to the next level, you can employ colour psychology. Different colours can make you feel the exact atmosphere of a certain area. Try these palettes:

• Calm Palette: For tranquillity and sleep, stick with deep green and white colour plants like Draping Fern Stem and Potted Orchid White. These colours are grounding and perfect for bedrooms or quiet corners. By limiting your color palette to these two hues, you create a harmonious, elegant, and non-distracting environment that effectively signals to your mind that it is time to slow down, allowing you to unwind fully and prepare for a restful night's sleep.

• Lift and Energise: Add small touches of Yellow Lily Plant or Calla Lily Plant in kitchens or creative spaces. Use them sparingly to get a mood boost instantly. Similarly, in a creative space or studio, the strategic placement of a Yellow Lily serves as a powerful visual reset. Yellow is intrinsically linked to intellect, clarity, and creativity, making it an ideal companion for moments of deep work or inspiration. A tiny bud vase holding just one perfect bloom near a workstation or a small potted specimen nestled on a high shelf offers a non-distracting moment of natural beauty.

• Focus Cues: Place a few Artificial Grass Plants near your work zone. The gentle grass blades can help anchor your attention without being distracting. They offer your eyes a restful break from the harsh light of screens and the angular geometry of monitors and desks, allowing your visual system to relax without requiring intense, distracting focus. Because they are artificial, they offer this benefit without the added cognitive load of maintenance (watering, light checks, pruning), ensuring the calming effect is constant and truly effortless, subtly grounding your attention in your immediate surroundings and helping to maintain a steady flow of productivity throughout the workday.

Honest Limits and Smart Add-Ons

It is important to be upfront about what artificial plants cannot do. They are visually lifelike, but they do not purify the air or release natural scents.

Luckily, these differences can be achieved very easily:

• Add Scent: You can add a few drops of essential oil to your faux plants to make them smell like the real thing. Scents like lavender, jasmine, or citrus can complete the sensory experience. Scented candles are another great option.
• Enhance Air Quality: The best thing you can do when having artificial plants is to bring an air purifier into the room. It takes care of the air, while your plants deliver the visual calm.

Sustainability And Simple Care

When buying artificial plants, the main thing is to select the right ones and look after your pieces.

Make sure you follow these tips:

• Cleaning and Maintaining: Realistic leaves and their true colours can be maintained by a mere cleansing that is usually done by dusting. A simple wipe-down once a week is enough.
• Quality Over Cheap Ones: The best faux plants are a few rather than many cheap ones. Good pieces look more lifelike and will give you a calm feeling.
• End-of-life Plan: When you are ready for a change, consider donating your fauxs. You can also upcycle them in creative projects to extend their use.

Proof Points and Gentle Care Notes

The evidence is very encouraging. Studies show that visual exposure to plant-like greenery can reduce perceived pain in healthcare settings and improve mood and productivity. These benefits hold true even when using artificial plants indoors.

One thing that we should always keep in mind is the fact that plants are an excellent aid but not a medicine. If you happen to be fighting with your mental health, it is better that you go see a doctor or a therapist for professional support. Making your environment greener is a nice way of cheering up your mood while taking professional care of yourself.

End Note

So now, you know the secret to ultimate relaxation. A calm mind doesn’t always need a garden or a patch of sunlight. Sometimes, all it takes is a touch of green that stays vibrant every day. A few well-chosen artificial plants can create that same comforting atmosphere indoors that we crave when life feels too full.

Designer Vertical Gardens offer a range of real-looking plants to help you enhance mood and space. Our plants are crafted with rich colours and realistic details that bring warmth and calm into any setting.

So why wait?

Bring our plants in and let your busy thoughts take it easy!