The Plants Corner · Blog
What Is the Best Faux Olive Tree in Australia?
The faux olive tree is, without question, the most desired piece in the artificial plant world right now — and it's not hard to see why. That silver-green foliage, the gnarled Mediterranean trunk, the way it makes every room feel more considered. But with so many options available across Australia, knowing which one is actually worth buying takes a bit more than scrolling through search results.
We've curated our entire faux olive tree range with one principle in mind: every tree has to be genuinely convincing up close, not just in a product photo. Here's our honest, complete guide to choosing the right faux olive tree for your space — and for your budget.
Why the olive tree became everyone's favourite
Interior designers have been specifying olive trees for years, and the reason is simple: there is no other tree that works across so many styles. Modern, coastal, rustic, Hamptons, Japandi, Mediterranean — the olive tree sits down comfortably beside all of them. The silver-green foliage is neutral enough to complement almost any colour palette, while the gnarled trunk adds just enough visual interest to make a space feel genuinely styled.
The faux version solved the one problem the real olive tree always had — they're notoriously difficult to keep indoors. They need direct sunlight, careful watering, and they shed dramatically if you look at them sideways. A quality faux olive tree gives you everything you see on an interior design Pinterest board, permanently, without a single watering schedule.
What to look for in a quality faux olive tree
Not all faux olive trees are created equal. Here's what separates a genuinely convincing tree from one that looks obviously artificial the moment someone walks past it.
Key quality indicators
Real wood trunk
The trunk is the first thing people notice up close. A real wood trunk has genuine grain, texture and natural imperfection that synthetic materials simply cannot replicate. If the trunk looks too uniform or too smooth, the whole tree reads as fake.
Two-tone foliage
Real olive leaves are silver-green on top and paler underneath. Quality faux trees replicate this two-tone quality — the foliage shifts and changes as you move around the tree, just as it does in nature. Single-tone leaves are a telltale sign of a cheaper tree.
Canopy density and shape
A real olive has a full, layered canopy — not perfectly round, but genuinely lush. Look for a tree where the branches are positioned at varied angles rather than all reaching straight up. A good tree should look like it's been shaped by time, not a machine.
Proportions for your ceiling height
A 210cm tree in a room with 2.4m ceilings will look cramped and unnatural. Equally, a 160cm tree in a double-height space will look lost. The right size matters as much as the quality of the tree itself.
Our faux olive tree range — every size explained
At The Plants Corner, we stock faux olive trees from 160cm through to 240cm — each one designed for a different ceiling height, space size and budget. Here's the honest breakdown.
160cm — The compact classic
Our Premium Faux Olive Tree 160cm is the entry point into the range and one of the most versatile sizes we carry. At 160cm it's perfectly proportioned for bedrooms, home offices, smaller living rooms and entryways where a taller tree would feel overpowering. The canopy is full and the foliage is detailed — it's a tree that looks genuinely considered in a smaller space rather than a compromise.
Best for: Bedrooms, home offices, apartments, smaller living rooms, entryways.
180cm — The sweet spot
The 180cm range is our most popular, and for good reason. It's the size that works in almost every Australian home — tall enough to fill a corner with real presence, balanced perfectly for standard 2.4m and 2.7m ceiling heights, and generous enough in the canopy to read as a mature, established tree.
We carry several 180cm options at different price points and with different trunk and canopy styles:
Faux Olive Tree 180cm
Clean silhouette, silver-green foliage, refined single trunk. The most versatile in the range — works in every interior style.
Giant Multi Branch Olive 1.8M
Real wood trunk, multi-branch canopy. The most convincing tree in the range — genuinely difficult to distinguish from a real olive.
Luxe & Lush Faux Olive 180cm
Full, generous canopy with dense foliage. For spaces that want maximum greenery and a lush, abundant look.
Tall Multi Branch Olive 180cm
Tall, multi-branch structure for a more dramatic silhouette. Great for high-ceilinged spaces and larger living rooms.
210cm — The statement piece
Our Majestic Olive Tree 210cm is for rooms with 2.7m+ ceilings where you want the tree to be the undeniable focal point. At over two metres it fills a room with genuine presence — not just height, but the kind of expansive, mature canopy that makes a space feel like it was designed around it. Best suited to open-plan living, double-height entries and commercial spaces.
Best for: Open-plan living rooms, high-ceiling spaces, statement corners, commercial and hospitality spaces.
240cm — Grand scale
For spaces with at least 3m ceilings, our 240cm range delivers a truly grand-scale olive tree — the kind you see in hotel lobbies and luxury residential projects. At this height the tree takes on an entirely different quality: it's less a piece of décor and more an architectural feature in its own right.
Best for: Double-height entries, grand living rooms, commercial spaces, hospitality venues.
Side by side — which size is right for you?
| Size | Ceiling height | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160cm | 2.2m – 2.5m | Bedrooms, offices, apartments | $169 AUD |
| 180cm | 2.4m – 2.7m | Living rooms, entryways, dining rooms | $189 AUD |
| 210cm | 2.7m – 3.0m | Open-plan spaces, statement corners | $499 AUD |
| 240cm | 3.0m+ | Double-height entries, commercial | $699 AUD |
How to style your faux olive tree — five things that make it look real
A quality faux olive tree is the foundation. What you do around it determines whether it looks genuinely planted or obviously placed. Here are the five details that make the biggest difference.
Styling guide
Choose the right pot
The pot matters as much as the tree. A terracotta, aged concrete or woven natural basket planter is the classic olive tree pairing and works in almost every interior. Use a pot 32–40cm in diameter for 180cm trees — too small and the proportions look off.
Cover the base with moss or pebbles
The single most effective thing you can do. A generous layer of dried moss, white pebbles or fine stones around the nursery pot hides any artificial tell-tale signs at the base and makes the whole tree look like it's properly planted. It takes thirty seconds and makes an enormous difference.
Shape the branches after unboxing
Every faux tree arrives compact from transit. Take 10–15 minutes to open and angle each branch — rotate some forward, some back, vary the height of different sections. The canopy should look like it grew naturally, not like it was arranged symmetrically. This step alone transforms how the tree reads in a room.
Position near natural light
You don't need to — faux trees need zero light — but positioning near a window means the foliage catches real light throughout the day, making the two-tone leaves shift and shimmer naturally. It's the single most convincing thing you can do for realism.
Give it breathing room
An olive tree pushed too tightly into a corner looks cramped. Pull it forward 15–20cm from the wall so the canopy can expand naturally in all directions. It should look planted, not stored.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a faux olive tree look real?
The three most important things: choose a quality tree with a real wood trunk and two-tone foliage, cover the nursery pot base with moss or pebbles, and take time to shape the branches after unboxing. Position it near natural light if possible — it makes the foliage come alive in a way no other trick achieves.
What size faux olive tree should I buy?
For most Australian homes with standard 2.4m ceilings, 180cm is the ideal size — it commands the room without touching the ceiling and looks genuinely proportioned. For taller ceilings (2.7m+), consider 210cm. For bedrooms or smaller spaces, 160cm works beautifully.
Can faux olive trees be used outdoors?
Our faux olive trees are designed for indoor use and covered outdoor areas. Extended exposure to direct Australian sunlight and rain will affect the foliage and trunk over time. For open outdoor areas, we recommend a UV-treated range specifically designed for that purpose.
Do I need a pot with my faux olive tree?
Our trees come with a nursery pot included. You'll want to place that inside a decorative planter of your choice — we recommend a pot 32–40cm in diameter for 180cm trees. Check out our pots and vases collection for options that pair beautifully with our olive trees.
How do I care for a faux olive tree?
Dust the foliage with a soft dry cloth every few weeks to keep the leaves looking fresh. For light marks, a slightly damp cloth works well. Keep the tree away from prolonged direct sunlight to protect the colour vibrancy over time. That's genuinely all the maintenance it will ever need.
Do you deliver faux olive trees Australia-wide?
Yes — we deliver to all states and territories across Australia, including metro areas (3–7 business days) and regional areas including WA, NT and QLD (6–10 business days). All orders are dispatched within 4 business days.
Ready to find your perfect olive tree?
Browse the full range — from 160cm to 240cm, every style and budget.
Shop Faux Olive Trees