Artificial Monstera & Large-Leaf Plants

Large-leaved plants are the fastest way to give a room presence. A single monstera with three or four properly big leaves fills a corner more convincingly than a cluster of small plants, and it does it with a graphic, sculptural shape that photographs well and reads clearly from across the room.

The monstera — Swiss cheese plant — is the best known, with its split, perforated leaves and unmistakable silhouette. Alongside it the range includes other broad-leaved forms: strelitzia and banana-leaf shapes for a tall, upright tropical line, and rounder, glossier leaves for a softer look. All share the same advantage over the real thing, which is that they hold their shape rather than growing leggy and reaching for a window.

These want space and a plain background — a large leaf against a busy wallpaper loses its outline entirely. They also want a substantial container; a big plant in a small pot always looks unstable. See planters for something suitable, and yucca and tropical plants for more of the same mood.