Palm and Galax Add an Exotic Touch to Designs

When you are familiar with OrcaGreen, the quality label for decorative foliage by Dutch specialist importer Adomex, you know how to get your hands on a wide variety of greens in all sizes. Let's get to meet both one of their biggest and their smallest greens in one go. Here's an introduction to the Palm and Galax leaves, who find themselves as equals when it comes to quality, yet as opposites when it comes to size.

Palm and Galax are two distinctive decorative greens that any florist or expert in floral design and arrangements find appealing. The exceptionally adorable foliages are native along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts (Palm) and to the woodlands of the Appalachian Mountains (Galax). Even so, miles away from their natural habitats, these decoration greens, stand out in designs and floral compositions in which they are used.

Palm, the Large, Spear-Shaped Decorative Green

Serenoa repens, also known as the saw palmetto or in the Netherlands 'zegepalm', is a member of the Arecaceae family, and another product that Adomex offers through the OrcaGreen label. These palms are known for their compact growth and multiple stems, meaning that the individual plants take up very little space.

This palm grows in the sandy soils along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the sub-tropical south-eastern U.S. and has sturdy stems and strong, spear-shaped leaves that measure anywhere from 55 to 90 centimeters. The leaves are arranged in a fan shape at the tip of the stem, which is why they are sometimes called ‘palm fans’.

Saw Palmetto’s unique foliage — most of the leaves are green with a silvery tinge — adds a touch of texture to floral arrangements when incorporated into them. A florist may opt to use individual fronds or small clusters to accentuate focal points or accents or combine them with other foliage or flowers to create interesting contrasts.

The fronds of Serenoa repens, also, provide a striking textural contrast when combined with other floral elements. One could consider using them in arrangements with large, bold flowers like sunflowers, where the fronds complement the sturdiness of these blooms.

Palm can also serve as a filler material or foliage in floral designs, where its fronds can be intertwined with other greenery, such as eucalyptus or ferns, to add volume to arrangements. Here, they bring a sense of natural exotic air to the overall design.

Furthermore, the tall, slender stems of Serenoa repens make it a good choice for vertical accents in floral designs. Incorporating the fronds in taller arrangements, such as floor vases or pedestal arrangements, creates heights.

Generally, these large, flexible stems are ideal for lush arrangements and large designs, where they are guaranteed to be attention-grabbers. 

Adomex imports these decorative fronds from Florida, where the leaves are carefully harvested from the palms that grow as ground cover in forests containing mainly pine and oak trees. The palm leaves are packed in boxes in bunches of 10, and then shipped to the Netherlands in sea containers. The beautiful palm fan leaves are available at Adomex all year round.

Galax, the Small Seductive Heart-Shaped Charmer

Galax, botanically named Galax urceolata, a charming decorative type of greenery, is often referred to as Wandflower, Wandplant, Appalachian Galax, or Beetleweed. These evergreen plants are winter-hardy. Their leaves are rosette-shaped with a serrated edge and are dark green with a matt gloss turning to reddish-brown during the winter, especially around Christmas.

Galax’s stem length is generally between 5 and 10 centimeters long, but can sometimes measure 15 centimeters. The decorative plants that largely grow in shady Appalachian Mountains forests forming the border between North and South Carolina are particularly concentrated in the small town of Burnsville; the epicenter of the Galax industry.

Available, practically, all year round, the decorative green which possesses leathery, glossy, heart-shaped leaves with short stems is, largely, ideal for small arrangements and corsages whereby floral designers use a combination of its dark green and reddish-brown leaves to create exquisite designs.

Here, it adds a dash of stylishness to the floral compositions it graces. In such designs, its addition provides an excellent contrast to vibrant blooms, making it an ideal filler in, virtually, all styles of arrangements; from traditional to contemporary. Basically, putting these leaves together in a design creates the most beautiful creations!

Galax’s resourcefulness goes beyond being a filler material, as the heart-shaped leaves can be creatively arranged to form a delightful green collar around bouquets, or stylized as a base for larger floral centerpieces. The scalloped edges of the leaves, also, lend a refined touch to compositions.

OrcaGreen’s Galax is carefully harvested in the wild by experienced pickers and the leaves are delivered in large sacks to a supplier, who has been a permanent Adomex partner for more than 15 years. They are then sorted into two sizes: regular (5 to 7.5 cm) and super (10+ cm).  Also, the leaves are not harvested between mid-April and mid-June to give new ones enough time to grow.

About Adomex’s OrcaGreen Label

Adomex is a major independent importer of cut and decoration greenery, exotics, and other filler flowers. The company has maintained long-standing relationships with a carefully selected collective of growers and suppliers from around the world. This ensures a continuous supply of its most beautiful cut greenery and other fillers to customers.

OrcaGreen has been Adomex’s trusted green label for many years. It is highly valued by professionals from just about anywhere in the world, specifically, those who appreciate and value, quality and reliability. The label delivers different high-quality cut greenery and foliage used by florists and designers in bouquets, arrangements, and other floral creations.

Feature and header images by @adomexinternational.