For Senior Living

Artificial plants for senior living are low-care, stable-based greenery specified for lounges, dining rooms and corridor junctions in retirement residences and care homes, where staff time belongs to residents rather than to a watering rota. US residential pieces ship free and tracked in 2 to 10 business days, and anything that arrives damaged, defective or incorrect is repaired, replaced or refunded at Eververda's cost, with 48 hours to report shipping damage and no restocking fee on those.

Our position on fire documentation. Eververda publishes a fire figure only where documentation exists for that specific piece, and describes nothing as "fire rated". On a commercial quote we establish the occupancy, the adopted code edition and what your authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) will accept as documentation, in writing, before the order. Where no documented route exists for a piece, we say so and set out the alternatives. We do not claim a certificate for any product.

Why do care facilities limit live plants indoors?

The clearest documented rule is the CDC's guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities, developed with HICPAC. Potted plants and flowers need not be restricted in areas serving immunocompetent patients, but for areas serving immunosuppressed patients the guidance is direct: "Do not allow fresh or dried flowers, or potted plants" (CDC page, version of 11 January 2024). It is written for health-care facilities rather than every retirement residence, so the operator's own infection-control policy decides what applies to a given unit. Labour is the other reason: watering, repotting and pest checks need a place on somebody's schedule, and in a staffing model built around resident care that task slips. Warm, familiar species such as fiddle leaf figs, olives, palms and blossom trees keep a lounge feeling residential rather than clinical.

What should a resident-safe specification require?

Four points cover most of it. A weighted or anchored base, heavier or more securely fixed than the canopy suggests, matters more in a corridor with mobility-aid traffic than in a still corner; most floor pieces here document a weighted, cement-filled or anti-tip base or planter in the specification table. Wipeable PE or plastic foliage takes a damp cloth where fabric does not. No small detachable parts: artificial foliage is not manufactured or tested as edible-safe, so skip loose beads, felt fruit and wired accents where a resident may handle objects closely. And clear sightlines, with foliage kept below sightline height in corridors. Design guidance for dementia care, from brainXchange, a Canadian community of practice, favours clutter-free corridors with few decision points, so place a plant as a landmark at a junction or lounge corner rather than along the walking route.

How much clear width does a corridor or lounge need?

ADA standards call for a minimum clear width of 32 in at a point and 36 in continuously for a single wheelchair, plus a 60 in circular or T-shaped turning space (U.S. Access Board). Corridor width in a care occupancy is set by the life-safety code edition your AHJ has adopted, so confirm it before you order. One piece for a reception desk is an ordinary order; furnishing every junction across a multi-floor residence is commercial-scale work, quoted with freight, crating, lead time and site access planned per order. See Commercial Artificial Plants.

Frequently asked questions

What fire documentation should a care facility ask for?

Evacuation is slower in a care setting and often needs staff assistance, so ask every supplier, in writing, what documentation exists for the specific product. What applies depends on the occupancy, the code edition your jurisdiction has adopted and your AHJ, who decides what is acceptable. In the United States, the International Fire Code accepts either NFPA 701 (Test Method 1 or 2) or NFPA 289 (20 kW ignition source, 100 kW maximum heat release rate) for artificial vegetation, at Section 807.4.1 from the 2018 edition onward and Section 806.2 in the 2015 edition, which some jurisdictions still run. In Ontario, Article 2.3.2.1 of the Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07) requires decorative materials to meet CAN/ULC-S109 in listed locations, a lobby or exit among them, but the Code does not name artificial vegetation, so applying it to a tree rests on a broad reading. Outside Ontario, confirm the code in force with your AHJ. We publish a fire figure only where documentation exists for that specific piece, and we do not claim a certificate for any product. See fire documentation for commercial artificial greenery.

Do artificial plants need any watering or upkeep?

No watering, feeding or repotting. Maintenance is an occasional damp-cloth wipe.

What stops a tall artificial tree tipping in a busy hallway?

A base that is weighted, typically cement-filled, or anchored to the floor or wall with brackets. Check the specification table for the base on each listing, and see our senior living guide.