The trunk is where most faux olive trees fail. A straight or uniformly tapered stem reads as manufactured rather than grown.

The Amalfi's twisted, characterful trunk replicates the specific growth quality of an aged olive tree. The bark texture, and the natural asymmetry of a tree shaped by decades of sun, wind and harvest. It is the first thing your eye reads from across a room, and it is what separates a convincing tree from an obvious one.

The foliage does the second half of the work. Real olive leaves are two-tone, darker on top and paler silver beneath, and that dusty quality is what catches the light as the branches move. A flat single-colour leaf never gives you that depth, however good the shape.

The olive clusters are the final botanical detail, and the reason the tree reads as a real specimen rather than a generic artificial plant. It is a small thing that does a disproportionate amount of work at close range, which matters when the tree stands somewhere people walk past daily.

• A twisted, asymmetric trunk that reads as grown rather than manufactured
• Two-tone silver-green foliage that catches light the way real olive leaves do
• Authentic olive clusters that hold up to close inspection, not just from across the room
• 180cm of genuine presence, tall enough to fill a corner properly
• Zero maintenance. No water, no light requirement, no pruning, no dropped leaves
• Works in rooms with no natural light at all, where a real olive would fail within weeks
• Looks the same in February as it does in June
• No pollen, no soil, no insects

The corner test. Stand in the doorway of the room and look for the spot your eye skips over. That is where a 180cm tree belongs, and it is almost never the spot people first consider.

Ceiling height. At 180cm this sits comfortably under a standard 240cm ceiling with room to spare. In a room with sloping eaves, measure at the exact position you intend to stand it.

The planter changes the tree more than anything else you can do to it, and it is where most people underspend.

The most popular pairing by a distance. Natural fibre against silver-green foliage is a combination that reads as effortlessly put together, and it softens the strong vertical of the trunk. Look through baskets and storage for something with enough width to look deliberate.

More formal, and better in a period hallway or a smarter dining room. A matt glaze in stone, chalk or terracotta suits the foliage best. Browse pots and vases for the right scale.

As a rule, the planter should be roughly a third of the total height, so around 55cm to 60cm for a 180cm tree. Too small and the tree looks top-heavy, which is the single most common mistake with faux trees.

A layer of decorative moss, bark or a few smooth stones over the base hides the mechanics entirely. It takes two minutes and it is the difference between a tree that convinces and one that does not.

A few things our stylists do that most people skip.

Faux trees are packed compressed and arrive looking flat. Spend ten minutes bending branches outward and downward, opening up gaps in the canopy. Real trees are not symmetrical spheres, so aim for irregular.

Every faux tree has a good side, where the trunk twist reads best. Find it before you commit to a position.

A floor lamp or an uplighter behind the tree throws leaf shadows onto the wall, which is the single most convincing thing you can do. Overhead light flattens the canopy completely. See our lighting range.

Trees look most natural near a window, even a faux one, because that is where the eye expects a plant to be. A tree in a windowless internal corner reads slightly more staged.

Nothing gives a faux plant away faster than visible dust on the leaves. A monthly once-over is all it takes.

The last two rows are the honest trade. A faux tree does not grow and it is not alive. What it does is look right in a corner where a real olive would be dead by March, which is most British interiors.

Dusting. A soft dry brush, a feather duster or a hairdryer on the cool setting, roughly monthly. Dust is the only thing that gives a good faux tree away.

No water, ever. Not on the foliage and not into the planter. If you are using a basket, keep it dry.

Reshaping. Branches can be adjusted gently by hand whenever the canopy starts looking flat. Work in small movements rather than forcing a sharp angle.

Light. Bright indirect light keeps the foliage colour truest. In a window that gets strong direct sun all day, any faux foliage will lighten over years.

Indoors only. This is an interior tree. It is not weatherproof and should not live outside through British weather.

Your tree is packed with the canopy compressed to protect it in transit, so expect to spend ten minutes shaping the branches when it arrives. Delivery details are on our delivery page.

If it is not right once it is in the room, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

0% interest-free finance is available at checkout, and our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere.

Not sure whether 180cm suits your corner? Ask us via our contact page or live chat. Styling a hotel, restaurant or holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.