Fire-Rated Artificial Plants: What Commercial Buyers Need to Know
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For artificial plants, "fire-rated" should mean one thing: the plant is made from a fire-retardant material that has been tested for how it reacts to fire. Our fire-retardant lines are made from fully tested fire-retardant materials, tested at material level to EN 13501-1 (reaction to fire, classification B-s2, d0) and NFPA 701, and the test reports are available to trade customers on request. The product evidence is only half the decision, though: your venue's fire risk assessment decides what is acceptable in a given position.
All 36 lines we flag as fire-retardant are listed with height, type and live stock in our fire-retardant artificial plants finder. This guide explains what the rating means, how the testing works, which lines carry it and how to put the evidence in front of the person who signs off the scheme.
What "fire-rated" means for decorative planting
Suppliers use "fire-rated" loosely, so pin down which claim you are being offered. For decorative products such as artificial plants, the useful claim is reaction to fire: how readily the material ignites, how fast flame spreads across it, how much smoke it gives off and whether it drops burning debris. That is what EN 13501-1 and NFPA 701 measure.
Three terms get mixed up in this market, and they describe different things:
- Fire-retardant or flame-retardant: the material is treated or formulated to slow ignition and flame spread. This is what our fire-retardant flag means.
- Inherently flame-retardant: the base polymer itself resists ignition rather than relying on a treatment. We don't claim this for our lines.
- “Fire resistant” in building terms: an element's ability to keep doing its job in a fire for a set period, tested under EN 13501-2. That applies to doors, walls and floors, not to decorative plants, and we don't claim it.
In short, B-s2, d0 decodes as: B, the second-highest class for combustible products (very limited contribution to fire); s2, the middle smoke-production class; d0, no flaming droplets or particles in the test. NFPA 701 is the North American test for textiles and films used in decoration, and a pass is widely asked for by event venues. The full decode of both standards, and how they compare, is in our terminology guide, Fire Resistant vs Fire Retardant vs Inherently Flame Retardant: Terms Explained, due in November.
How our fire-retardant lines are tested
Testing is carried out at material level. Our supplier's fire-retardant foliage material has been tested by the SGS-CSTC laboratory, and the same tested material is used across the range's styles, from hanging trailing plants to palms, bushes, stems and garlands. That is how fire-retardant performance can be offered across 36 different products rather than a token few.
Our standard statement, which you can quote in a specification or tender response, is this: our fire-retardant lines are made from fully tested fire-retardant materials. Testing is carried out at material level to EN 13501-1 (reaction to fire, classification B-s2, d0) and NFPA 701, and the same tested material is used across the range's styles. Test reports are available to trade customers on request, and your venue's fire risk assessment decides what is acceptable in a given location.
We don't publish the reports on the website. Ask for them and we will send them for your project file (details below). Only lines carrying the fire-retardant flag on the product page are made from this material. Our other categories, including orchids, flower stems, planters, wisteria, bonsai and bay trees, are not fire-retardant, whatever they look like.
Who decides what is acceptable on site
In England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes the responsible person for the premises (usually the employer, owner or operator in control) carry out a fire risk assessment and act on it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent regimes. That assessment, often done by a professional fire risk assessor, decides whether decorative planting is acceptable in a particular position and what evidence is needed.
The Order is risk-based, not a list of permitted products, so the real requirement usually comes from the assessor, the venue or the client's own specification. Escape routes, stairwells and busy public areas get the closest attention. The practical rule for a buyer is simple: ask what the assessor or venue wants to see before you choose products, then supply the reports with the product list. Sector-specific detail for hotels, public buildings and restaurants follows in our December guide, Fire-Rated Artificial Plants for Hotels and Public Buildings.
Which lines are fire-retardant
Thirty-six lines carry our fire-retardant flag, all in green foliage. A few product titles use the words “fire resistant”; they are part of the same fire-retardant range.
| Group | Lines | Heights | Also UV-stabilised | Sold as | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanging trailing plants | 15 | 68–128cm drop | Yes, all 15 | Singles, bare stem | hanging pothos 71cm, hanging clustered fern 128cm |
| Trees and palms | 9 | 165–210cm | No | Singles, 22cm weighted pot on most | 210cm areca palm, 210cm Phoenix palm, 180cm retusa ficus, 180cm black olive, 210cm cherry blossom |
| Bushes and small potted lines | 6 | 45–90cm | No | Individually | 80cm aglaonema bush, 90cm peacock foliage bush |
| Stems and branches | 5 | 30–78cm | No | Individually (multibuy) | 40cm palm tree stem, fern branch, grass and mini-leaf stems |
| Garland | 1 | 190cm | No | Single | 190cm palm garland |
The fifteen hanging lines are the only ones that are both fire-retardant and UV-stabilised, which makes them the natural choice for covered terraces, bright atriums and ceiling-hung schemes; compare them on the fire-retardant and UV-stabilised plants page. The trees, palms, bushes and stems are not UV-flagged, so we list them for indoor positions.
Matching fire-retardant lines to common briefs
Hotel lobby or reception. A pair of 210cm areca or Phoenix palms either side of a lift lobby gives height without blocking sight lines; each is 80cm to 100cm wide, so allow at least a metre of clear floor per tree and keep them out of the escape route width your assessor has set. Drop the 22cm weighted pot into a heavier decorative planter.
Restaurant or bar ceiling. Ceiling-hung trailing plants are where fire questions come up often, because they sit above diners and near lighting. Use the hanging fire-retardant lines, fix them to the structure rather than to light fittings, and keep drops at least a hand's width clear of lamps and heaters. A 6m bar run dressed at 50cm centres takes about twelve hanging plants; mix the 71cm pothos with the 128cm clustered fern for varied drop.
Events and staging. Venues that ask for NFPA 701 evidence typically want it for set dressing. The 190cm palm garland wraps arches and stage fronts, and the fire-retardant stems (sold individually) fill troughs and table centres. Keep every piece in the scheme fire-retardant: one untreated garland or ribbon undoes the point of the rest.
Offices and public buildings. For breakout areas and receptions, the 180cm retusa ficus and the 80cm aglaonema bush give a standard floor-plus-desk mix. The commercial specification page sets out how to build a schedule that assessors can read quickly.
How to request reports and build the project file
- Shortlist by flag. Use the finder or the fire-retardant collection so that every line in the scheme carries the flag.
- Email us. Send the SKUs or product titles, the type of premises and any standard the client or venue has asked for to sales@leafdesignwholesale.co.uk. We send the EN 13501-1 and NFPA 701 test reports for the fire-retardant material.
- Build a one-page schedule. List each SKU, its location in the building, height and quantity, and note that it is made from the tested fire-retardant material.
- Hand it to the decision-maker. Give the schedule and reports to the responsible person or their assessor before you order, and keep copies in your own file for repeat work at the same site.
A fuller list of questions to put to any supplier follows in our December guide, What to Ask For Before Buying Fire-Rated Foliage.
Keeping fire-retardant plants safe in use
Fire-retardant material slows ignition and flame spread; it does not make a plant non-combustible. The way a scheme is installed and kept matters as much as the material.
- Keep all artificial plants clear of heaters, candles, cooking equipment, patio burners and naked flames, fire-retardant or not.
- Don't add untreated extras such as moss, ribbons, dried flowers or non-flagged stems into a fire-retardant arrangement.
- Keep plants out of escape route widths and away from fire exit signage, detectors and sprinkler heads.
- Dust regularly: built-up dust is combustible and dulls the foliage.
- Recheck positions when a venue changes layout, adds heaters or converts a covered area.
Frequently asked questions
Do artificial plants have to be fire-rated in commercial premises?
There is no single blanket rule. The fire risk assessment decides, and many assessors, hotel groups and event venues ask for reaction-to-fire evidence for decorative items, especially in escape routes and public areas. Confirm the requirement with the client before you specify.
Does the testing cover every fire-retardant product style?
Testing is carried out at material level, and the same tested fire-retardant material is used across the range's styles, which is why the reports support all 36 flagged lines. Send us the SKUs you are specifying and we will send the reports with them.
Can the fire-retardant trees go outside?
They are not UV-stabilised, so we list them for indoor use. For covered outdoor positions that need both properties, use the hanging UV and fire-retardant lines. Wider outdoor planning is in our complete trade guide to outdoor and UV-resistant artificial plants.
Is there a fire-retardant flowering tree or wisteria?
The 210cm cherry blossom is our only fire-retardant flowering tree. None of our wisteria is fire-retardant; our wisteria specification guide explains what to do when a venue asks for fire evidence.
Can I order fire-retardant lines in small quantities?
Yes. Every line is sold individually, including trees, palms, hanging plants, the garland, bushes and stems. The £150 ex VAT minimum applies to the whole order, across any mix of lines.
Browse the fire-retardant range and request reports
Compare every flagged line with height and live stock in the fire-retardant artificial plants finder, or browse the fire-retardant plants and fire-retardant trees collections. For hospitality schemes, the hotels and hospitality page groups suitable lines by space.
Register online, log in to see trade prices. Register here, request reports from sales@leafdesignwholesale.co.uk, or book an appointment at our Louth trade showroom to see the palms and hanging lines before you specify.
