I was hesitant to purchase this online without seeing it in person, but am surprised by the quality of this topiary. Much better than many I have seen in the stores. It is indeed real (preserved) and came well packaged. A little pricey, but it looks exactly as shown in the picture, and I have a feeling it will last for awhile. I was worried that the leaves would fall off during shipping, but they didn't.  I am planning on purchasing another one soon.