An artificial vertical garden panel is a 40 inch by 40 inch module of UV-stabilized foliage on a flexible backing that fixes straight to a fence, wall or frame and covers 11 square feet. Panels butt together to form a continuous wall of any size, cut down with shears to fit obstacles, and need no water, light or maintenance beyond an occasional rinse.
Vertical garden, green wall, living wall: the terms
Three names, largely one product. Vertical garden and green wall are used interchangeably across the industry and describe any planted or foliage-clad vertical surface. Living wall is the one term that carries a real distinction, because it implies irrigated living plants with the maintenance schedule and cost that go with them.
Everything in our vertical garden range is artificial. If you are weighing that against the irrigated version, the honest five-year numbers are in artificial vs living green walls, including the situations where a living wall is still the right answer.
The math that decides your order
Every standard panel covers 11 square feet. Measure the area in square feet and divide by 11, then round up. A 10 foot by 8 foot wall is 80 square feet, so 80 divided by 11 is 7.3, which means eight panels.
Add a panel for any wall with cut-ins around windows, downpipes or corners, because offcuts rarely land where you need them. The worked examples, including awkward shapes and returns, are in how many green wall panels do I need.
Formats, and the cost difference between them
Panels are one of four formats, and the choice is usually driven by budget per square foot rather than looks:
- 40 inch x 40 inch panels, 11 square feet. The default. Roughly $5.90 to $9.10 per square foot depending on foliage. Best density and the widest style choice.
- Rolls, 33 square feet. Exactly three panels' worth of coverage. An ivy roll lands under $2.00 per square foot, which is why long boundary runs almost always start here.
- 20 inch x 20 inch panels. Small-format modules such as the dense succulent panel, for narrow returns, planter faces and detail work.
- Framed discs. Decorative circles rather than coverage. See the disc guide for the sizing math.
The full format comparison is in hedge panels vs ivy rolls vs portable hedges.
Choosing foliage
Foliage choice is about how formal the finish reads and how it holds up in your light:
Boxwood is the formal option: tight, uniform, architectural. It suits reception walls, courtyards and anywhere the wall should look deliberate. Dark, natural, yellow English and extra dense versions all behave differently in shade, which is covered in the 40 inch boxwood panel guide.
Ivy and Boston ivy read as natural growth, with varied leaf size and tone. They forgive an uneven substrate better than boxwood, because the irregularity is part of the look.
Fern, jasmine and laurel sit between the two: softer than boxwood, tidier than ivy.
Flowering panels add color that never drops. Bloom color needs to be picked against the light the wall gets, which is set out in the flowering green wall guide.
Panels run from around $65 to $100 for standard foliage, up to $180 for the luxury flowering styles. At the commercial end, an extra dense boxwood panel on a metal frame runs $449.95 and is a genuinely different product, specified where density and frame rigidity are contract requirements.
Substrate and fixing
The substrate decides the fixing, not the panel. Allow around nine fixing points per panel and more on exposed elevations.
On chain-link, weldmesh or an existing trellis, UV-rated zip ties are faster and hold better than anything screwed. On masonry, timber or render, screws with washers, or battens where the surface is uneven. Standard nylon ties fail within a season outdoors, which is the single most common cause of a sagging wall. The full breakdown by surface is in zip ties vs screws, the method in the complete install guide, and cutting in can you cut artificial hedge panels.
Outdoor exposure and compliance
Outdoors, UV stabilization is what determines whether the wall still looks right in year three. In-leaf UV inhibitors hold color; sprayed surface coatings wear off. The difference, and how to test it before you buy, is in do artificial plants fade in the sun.
For commercial interiors, fire performance is usually the gating requirement. Our green wall products are Fire Rated to AS/NZS 1530.3:1999 - NFPA 701 rated options available on request. Establish that before the foliage is chosen, not after the design is approved.
Before you order
Order a $15 sample panel and put it on the actual wall in the actual light. Foliage color shifts more under LED than most people expect, and a sample is the cheapest risk reduction available.
Browse vertical garden panels, hedge panels and tiles or ivy rolls, and send your dimensions through the contact page for a panel count and fixing list. Trade buyers can apply for volume pricing via the trade program. More guides in the Expert Tips and Guides hub.