Artificial Plants for Retail & Visual Merchandising
This page is for visual merchandisers, retail display teams, shopfitters and store operators who use planting as display props rather than stock for sale. (If you want to sell artificial plants in your shop, see range planning for retailers.) The finder below opens on our flowering trees, the lines most often used to build window schemes, with exact live stock so you can plan a roll-out across a store estate.
- 30 lines
- Exact live stock
- Trade prices when logged in
- £150 ex VAT minimum
Register online, log in to see trade prices.
What planting does in a retail display
In a window or on a feature table, planting sets a season and a mood faster than almost anything else: blossom says spring, wisteria says summer, berries and foliage say autumn. It adds height and depth behind product, softens hard fixtures, and frames a focal point. Artificial planting suits retail because a display has to look the same on day forty as on day one, it has to survive being handled, packed and moved, and it goes back in the store room between campaigns.
Building a window scheme
- Height and structure: start with one or two trees. Our flowering trees run from 60cm to 180cm in cherry blossom, wisteria, bougainvillea, rose, forsythia, hydrangea, azalea and rhododendron. A 120cm pink blossom tree sits well in a standard window; the 180cm pink cherry tree fills a tall one.
- Canopy and overhead: wisteria and garlands hung from the window head frame the whole scene. Hanging and trailing plants do the same in green.
- Mid-level and foreground: single flower stems in glass vases, or ready-made arrangements, dress plinths and tables beside product.
- Green backdrop: foliage stems packed densely into troughs or foam behind product give a solid green backdrop without fixing anything to the building.
Keep colour tight. A scheme in one or two flower colours plus green reads from across the street; a mix of every colour reads as clutter. The finder filters by colour, and the plants by colour page shows the whole range that way.
Planning by campaign and by estate
For a single store, a display needs a handful of pieces. For an estate, the same scheme may need 50 or 200 of each, and that is where live stock matters. The finder shows exact stock on every line, so shortlist pieces whose stock is comfortably above your total before the scheme is signed off. We do not reserve stock or publish restock dates. Order the whole roll-out together where you can, and brief stores with SKUs so any replacements match. Single stems, trees and arrangements are all sold individually.
Plan backwards from the install date. Allow time for delivery (dispatch is within one working day of cleared funds; larger orders travel on a pallet), for stores to receive and store stock, and for any rework before the window changes.
Handling, storage and reuse
Artificial display planting can go back into storage between campaigns and be used again, which is where much of its value lies. To keep it presentable:
- Keep the original boxes, or store trees upright or flat in long boxes so branches are not crushed.
- Dust before storing and before reinstalling; a soft brush or cool hairdryer lifts dust from blossom.
- Re-shape branches and petals by hand after unpacking.
- Label boxes by SKU and campaign so stores can find the right pieces.
Sunny windows
A south-facing window is a hard place for any coloured material, including product. Flowering trees in our range are not UV-stabilised, so expect gradual fade in strong direct sun and rotate or retire pieces between campaigns. Where you need planting outside the shop, at the entrance or on a pavement, use UV-stabilised topiary, bay and grasses.
UV-stabilised lines contain UV inhibitors that slow colour fade in bright and outdoor positions. All artificial foliage fades gradually in prolonged direct sun; UV-stabilised stock fades far more slowly than untreated stock. We don't publish a lifespan, so plan to inspect exposed pieces each season and rotate or replace them when the colour drops.
Fire and display safety
Shopping centres and landlords may ask about fire performance for display materials. For areas where your fire risk assessment requires it, choose lines flagged fire-retardant, including a 210cm fire-retardant cherry blossom tree. See the fire-retardant finder.
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. Only lines flagged fire-retardant carry this material. Whatever you specify, keep all planting clear of heaters, candles, cooking equipment and naked flames.
Register online, log in to see trade prices. The minimum order is £150 ex VAT and UK mainland delivery is free on orders of £300 ex VAT or more; full terms are on ordering and delivery. Register online to see trade prices, or email sales@leafdesignwholesale.co.uk to book a visit to our Louth trade showroom (by appointment).
Frequently asked questions
Can the same display planting be reused across seasons?
Yes, that is one of the main reasons retailers use artificial planting. Dust pieces before storing, keep trees in long boxes or upright so branches are not crushed, re-shape by hand after unpacking, and label boxes by SKU and campaign. Pieces used in strong sun will fade gradually, so check them before each reinstall.
How do we order the same window scheme for many stores?
Build the scheme from lines whose live stock is comfortably above the total you need across all stores, then order the whole roll-out together. We do not reserve stock or publish restock dates, so allow time and brief stores with SKUs. Larger orders usually travel on a pallet, so give delivery instructions when ordering.
Will flowering trees fade in a sunny shop window?
All artificial foliage and flowers fade gradually in prolonged direct sun, and our flowering trees are not UV-stabilised. For a south-facing window, expect gradual change over a long campaign and rotate or retire pieces between changes. Outside the shop, use UV-stabilised lines, which fade far more slowly than untreated stock.
Which lines give the most impact in a small window?
One strong vertical, such as a 120cm blossom or wisteria tree, plus a mass of a single colour at the front usually outperforms many different pieces. Keep to one or two flower colours plus green so the scheme reads from across the street, and use glass vases of stems at product height.
Do you supply fire-retardant display trees?
Yes. Our fire-retardant range includes a 210cm cherry blossom tree, palms, bamboo, ficus and olive trees, bushes, stems and trailing plants, made from material tested to EN 13501-1 (B-s2, d0) and NFPA 701. Reports are available to trade customers on request, and the centre's or your own fire risk assessment decides what is acceptable.
