Artificial Greenery & Foliage Stems
How to choose artificial greenery for a wreath
Greenery is most of what a wreath is. These are the choices that decide whether it looks full or thin.
Start with a base green, then add texture
Base greenery covers the form: pine, cedar, boxwood, ficus, fern and mixed bushes. Texture greenery goes on top: eucalyptus, seeded sprays, grasses, berries and twigs. Most full wreaths use two or three different greens.
How much for a 24in base
Plan on three or four bushes or six to eight sprays of base green, cut into sections, plus two or three accent sprays. An airy grapevine wreath can use half that; deco mesh needs more short picks than long sprays.
Length by job
8–15in picks for mesh and small containers; 16–28in sprays for wreaths and swags; 30in and longer branches, spikes and garlands for door swags, mantels and tall arrangements. The length starts every title.
Finish by season
Plain green for everyday; rust, burgundy, copper and velvet leaves for fall; flocked, frosted, iced, glitter and metallic stems for Christmas and winter. Keep flocked and glitter finishes out of the rain.
Wired or not
Almost every spray and bush has a wire core: cut it with wire cutters and bend it to the curve of the base. Beaded and plastic-stem grasses are trimmed with snips. Stems marked UV are treated for sun.
Buy the piece
Everything is priced per spray, pick or bush, so a single design can use one cedar bush, two eucalyptus sprays and one berry pick. Shipping in the continental US is a flat $11 however many pieces you add.
Artificial florals FAQs
A spray is one long stem that branches into leaves or needles and is the workhorse for wreaths and swags. A pick is a short stem, usually under 16 inches, for tucking into deco mesh and small containers. A bush is several stems joined at one base (the x10 or x12 in the title) that you cut apart to spread across a base. A garland is a continuous length for mantels, railings and wrapping a wreath form.
For a full look, plan on three or four bushes or six to eight sprays of a base green such as pine, cedar, boxwood or fern, cut into sections, plus two or three accent sprays of eucalyptus, berries, grasses or twigs. A thinner wreath on a grapevine base can use half that.
Titles start with the length: 8 to 15 inches for picks, 16 to 28 inches for most sprays, and 30 to 60 inches for branches, spikes and garlands. Almost every spray and bush has a wire core, so it cuts with wire cutters and bends to the curve of a base. Beaded and plastic-stem grasses are trimmed with snips.
Plain green boxwood, ficus, ivy, ferns, eucalyptus, bay leaf and magnolia leaf read as everyday rather than seasonal. Swap in flocked or glittered stems for Christmas and rust, burgundy and copper leaf sprays for fall.
Flocked stems have a soft white coating like fresh snow. Frosted and iced stems have a glossy or crystalline finish on the tips. Glitter and metallic stems are coated in fine glitter or painted gold, copper or silver. All are Christmas and winter finishes and are best kept out of rain.
Yes, on a covered door or porch. Plain green pine, cedar and boxwood hold up best; sun fades leaf colours over a season, and flocking and glitter do not survive rain. Stems marked UV in the title are treated for sun exposure.
Returns are accepted for items that arrive damaged or when the wrong item was sent. Inspect your order when it arrives and email brian@brianlanedesigns.com with your order number and a photo, and we will make it right. We do not offer general returns, so check lengths, colours and quantities on the product page before ordering.