Preserved Plants

Preserved Plant FAQs ↑

• What are preserved plants? More

  Preserved plants are live plants that have undergone preservation to maintain their appearance without further need for water, sunlight or soil. Unlike live plants, preserved plants will retain their size and colour for years.

  The process of preserving a plant uses non-​toxic materials, which also results in a natural look to the plant. A large number of plant types can be preserved including flowers, foliage, moss walls and trees. Due to the environmental benefits, using preserved plants is always preferred over artificial plants, especially when using live plants would prove unsuitable for any reason.

  The preserving process involves growing plants to the desired size, adding them to an eco-​friendly preserving solution that replaces the natural sap. They are then dried and pruned before arriving to our production team to be handcrafted into displays.

• Preserved plants vs live plants — What’s the difference? More

  As the name suggests, the key difference between live plants and preserved plants is that live plants are living, while preserved plants are natural plants that have been preserved.

  Preserved plants offer a low maintenance and cost-​effective alternative to live plants for some spaces. Therefore, they are an ideal choice for your commercial building project when you want to add plants but without having to commit to maintenance for areas where this isn’t practical. Likewise, when you still want to gain the environmental and aesthetic benefits without having to resort to using artificial plants.

• Why are preserved plants a great choice for office spaces and commercial interiors? More

  As much as we’d all like to add live plants into all London commercial buildings, sometimes this just isn’t possible. Whether due to the environmental conditions, maintenance requirements or even the costs involved.

  Therefore, preserved plants offer another option especially if you still want to be able to experience all of the productivity and well-​being benefits of plants in your commercial building.

  Our stunning preserved plants can create an uplifting atmosphere for any commercial interior space including offices, shops, hospitality venues and much more.

• What are the advantages of preserved plants over artificial plants? More

  Preserved plants offer several unique benefits over artificial plants, including when using live plants isn’t feasible for your project.

  As preserved plants are made from real plants, they have a much more authentic look. The use of real materials also avoids the use of plastic, which in turn can also promote better air quality due to the ability for plastic plants to release VOCs into the air and their tendency to gather dust.

  Sustainability is another perk of preserved plants. That’s because when your plant installation reaches the end of its lifespan, the materials are 100% biodegradable.

  Also, because preserved plants are made just for your business, this also gives us more options over the plant varieties, colours and overall style of the installation.

• Do preserved plants require maintenance? More

  No, preserved plants don’t require regular maintenance in terms of watering or pruning as is standard for live plants. That’s because preserved plants don’t need soil, sunlight or water to survive.

  However, similar to other furnishings found in your commercial building, preserved plants may require a gentle clean every so often, which we can offer help and advice for.

  It’s also important to ensure that preserved plants aren’t exposed to unsuitable environmental conditions such as direct sunlight, moisture or high humidity. This will prevent fading or damage to the plants.

  By following our tips, this will help maintain the beauty of your preserved plants for as long as possible.

• How do preserved plants contribute to indoor air quality? More

  Preserved plants do not actively clean the air like live plants. However, they can still promote better air quality by reducing dust and creating an allergen-​free environment, when compared to their plastic equivalent.

  In London especially, every measure building owners can take to improve air quality counts. So although live plants are the preferred option for this, preserved plants can still contribute to a healthier indoor environment.

• How can moss walls be used In commercial spaces? More

  Moss walls offer an abundance of options for any green retrofit of your London commercial space. An eco-​friendly option with great acoustic benefits and the option of incorporating your company branding, preserved moss walls are a great addition indoors.

  We can install a moss wall in practically any area of your building. But some top ideas include entrance areas, meeting rooms, corridors, break rooms and offices.

  Unlike living walls, moss walls are not ‘alive’. Therefore, they do not require regular maintenance. Moss walls can also enhance the acoustics of your commercial building, while also offering benefits for wellbeing due to their biophilic properties.

  Our moss wall experts can also create framed moss wall art for your business. This is an ideal option if you want to enjoy the benefits of moss in your workspace, but can’t commit to a full moss wall installation.

• Can preserved plants be combined with live plants? More

  Of course! It certainly isn’t the case you have to opt for one over the other.

  It may prove beneficial to explore preserved plants in areas of your commercial building where live plants would be unsuitable for any reason. This could be due to the lack of access for maintenance, unsuitable light levels or issues with the weight of live displays. Likewise, preserved plants won’t work in areas which of high sunlight or higher humidity levels. A mix of the two means you can have the benefits of planting throughout your spaces.

  Furthermore, preserved plants can offer a better option for those with allergies to live plants.

  As with all our professional plant services, speaking with our London-​based team is the best way to determine the most suitable approach for your building, so get in touch to talk more.

• Do preserved plants qualify for environmental or eco-​friendly certifications? More

  Yes, preserved plants still count as natural plants, meaning they can be used to enhance any green building certification efforts.

  At Plant Designs, we specialise in helping our clients reach various certification goals for their commercial buildings. Commonly, this includes BREEAM, LEED and WELL.

  While living plants are the preferred option, sometimes they don’t offer convenience. Preserved plants not only retain their freshness without the need for soil, water or sunlight, but they can also be more cost-​effective and work in areas unsuitable for living plants.