Outdoor Topiary
Outdoor artificial topiary keeps an entrance or a patio green all year, with no watering, trimming or winter losses. What decides how long faux boxwood lasts outside is UV protection. Our outdoor pieces come in two grades: a full outdoor grade made for all-day sun, and a lighter UV grade for part shade or seasonal use. Tell us how much sun the spot gets and we will match the grade.
Need a size or shape you don’t see?
Tell us the space and the height. We will suggest pieces and quote them with delivery to your ZIP.
Why choose faux outdoor topiary
Faux outdoor plants have one job: to look the same on a gray February morning as they did the day they went out. Topiary suits that job, because a clipped shape still looks deliberate from the street when the garden around it has gone brown. The rows below match a piece to the kind of spot it will face, from a covered porch to a sun-baked pool deck.
Front porch topiary under a roof
A covered porch is the kindest place for artificial topiary. The roof keeps off most of the direct sun, so the lighter UV grade does well there. The potted Japanese boxwood balls are that grade, and each comes on a weighted base.
If the porch faces south or west and the sun reaches the door all afternoon, choose the full outdoor grade instead. Buy the two in one order. Dye batches vary slightly, so a matched pair should come from the same batch.
Faux outdoor shrubs for planters
Not every planter needs a ball or a cone. The sweet bay bush and the rosemary podocarpus are looser, leafier shrubs that fill a planter box or soften the corner of a patio. Both come on a weighted base, so they sit in a container without soil.
Both are the lighter UV grade. Give them part shade, such as the side of a patio under a pergola, and they keep their color longer. How to plant artificial topiary in pots covers setting one into a planter.
Outdoor topiary trees with real height
For a two-story house, a driveway gate or the corners of a pool, a ball is too small. The cypress trees run from 6 ft to 12 ft and are the full outdoor grade, so they can stand in open sun.
They come on a bare trunk. The decorative pot is extra, and a weighted base can be added for a fee. A 10 ft tree catches a lot of wind, so plan a heavy, wide planter before it arrives. Trees this size travel by freight and are quoted with delivery to your address.
Outdoor topiary for hotels and restaurants
A hotel entrance or a restaurant patio needs planters that look full every day, with nobody on staff to water them. Full-grade boxwood balls do that in open sun.
Fire rules are the part people miss. Commercial buildings usually need NFPA 701 paperwork for artificial plants, and nothing is fire retardant by default. Many outdoor pieces, including the full-grade boxwood balls, can be ordered in a fire-safe version with the retardant built into the material. Ask before you order, since it is a different material rather than a spray added later. Our team replies within hours, usually the same day.
Questions about Outdoor Topiary
How long does outdoor artificial topiary last in the sun?
It depends on the grade. The full outdoor grade kept 90 to 95 percent of its color after six years of full sun in its maker’s trial; the lighter UV grade lasts about two and a half years in direct sun. Our page on how to prevent fading covers what shortens a piece’s life.
Does outdoor topiary need any maintenance?
Very little. Rinse it with a hose to clear dust and pollen, and check now and then that the base or planter is still steady. There is no watering or trimming. In strong sun, a UV protectant spray adds a layer on top of UV-rated foliage.
Will it survive frost and snow?
Usually, if you clear heavy snow. Snow and ice can break tall shapes such as cones and cypress trees, so brush them off after a storm. Lightweight pieces are safer indoors during severe weather.
Can these be fixed down in a windy position?
Yes, with a weighted base or a heavy planter. Several pieces come on a weighted base, and the tall cypress trees can have one added for an extra fee. What size planter a topiary needs covers the fit.
Outdoor artificial or live boxwood?
Live boxwood if the spot has light, drainage and someone to look after it. Artificial if it does not: roofs, deep shade, high traffic, or anywhere a gap in the planting would be noticed. Compare live boxwood topiary.
Is outdoor artificial topiary fire rated?
Not by default. Commercial buildings such as hotels and event venues usually need NFPA 701 paperwork for artificial plants. Many outdoor pieces can be ordered in a fire-safe version with the retardant built into the material, which meets NFPA 701. Ask us before you order.
Do you ship outdoor topiary to Canada?
Yes. We ship across the US and Canada. Smaller pieces go by parcel (UPS or FedEx), and large pieces go by freight, quoted with delivery. You have 15 days after delivery to return a piece; refuse a shipment that arrives damaged.
