The most common types of artificial flowers include stems, sprays, branches, floral bushes, floral picks, drop-ins and cuttings. Understanding the basic kinds of artificial flowers can make them easier to shop for as well as help you choose the best type for your project. You should look for high-quality silk flowers without frayed edges. The right kind of flower can make projects such as floral arrangements and wedding bouquets look professional and realistic.
Cuttings are artificial flowers on a single, fairly short stem. They are made to look like fresh cut flowers such as those snipped straight from a garden. Silk cuttings can have a very realistic appeal -- especially when placed in transparent vases filled with water and lightly sprayed with an elegant floral scent. In the floral industry, cuttings are usually considered to be convenient and able to fit easily in many different types of containers.
Drop-ins are single stems of artificial flowers or greenery placed into groups and tied into a bundle with a length of ribbon or a material such as twine or raffia. Twine is cord or string made of a few strands twisted together. Raffia is ribbon-like lengths of fibers from raffia palm tree leaves. Drop-ins with long stems may be placed in the center of a tall floral arrangement and then different pieces of artificial flowers and greenery may be fitted around them.
Floral picks are clusters of artificial flowers that are sold in a variety of stem lengths. Many types of floral picks contain a single kind of flower, but a floral pick may be a grouping of different varieties of flowers. Some floral picks contain novelty accents such as feathers, berries or gourds. A quick way to create a floral arrangement is to group several floral pick clusters together.
Floral bushes are similar to floral picks and drop-ins, but tend to look more like an actual flowering plant than a cluster of flowers. The leaf filled and flower topped stems of floral bushes may make a good centerpiece for an arrangement of flowers. Floral bushes are also great as the main part of a wedding bouquet when baby's breath and ribbon are added. Baby's breath is the dried natural stems of tiny white flowers that are often featured with roses or other flowers in dried, artificial and fresh flower arrangements.
Branches of artificial flowers look like blooming tree branches such as cherry blossoms. Artificial floral branches are usually used in arrangements displayed in a large pot on the floor. Sprays are fairly long-stemmed and contain several faux flowers. These are often used to fill in spaces in floral arrangements. Stems are long-stemmed faux flowers that feature one or two flowers -- they may be trimmed to suit the height of each particular floral display container.