Lilygrass has established itself as a reliable and visually noticeable element in contemporary floral design. Its long, tapered blades and distinct texture allow for clean lines and added structure within arrangements, making it a popular choice, particularly for weddings. Rather than serve as only a 'filler', Lilygrass, also known as 'Liriope', brings a refined visual rhythm, adding both dimension and movement without detracting from the focal flowers in a design. Adomex has partnered with Plantas de mi Tierra, a grower based in Costa Rica. Now part of the OrcaGreen line, the farm contributes to Adomex’s assortment with a high-quality product grown in ideal climatic conditions.
Adomex's Lilygrass - Grown in Costa Rican Farm 'Plantas de mi Tierra'
Recognizing the demand for consistent, well-grown Lilygrass, their cultivation approach prioritizes responsible land use and attention to detail, resulting in healthy, long-lasting greenery suited for both large-scale floral installations and detailed design work. This collaboration strengthens the OrcaGreen offering and supports a supply chain built on quality, transparency, and shared values.
Felipe Vega from Costa Rica was recently interviewed, where he shared insightful information on how they grow Lilygrass in Central America, as well as how the collaboration with Adomex came about, and what it has been like to be part of the OrcaGreen line.
Lilygrass - A Trusted Greenery
Native to shaded and sunlit environments alike, it produces small purple flower spikes in the warmer months and can be easily propagated by division in early spring. Its subtle, clean appearance makes it a favorite among floral designers, blending with a variety of flowers and other greenery.
Adomex offers two key varieties in its assortment: the rich green 'Liriope muscari' and 'Liriope variegata', known for their green and white striped foliage. While typical growth reaches 20 to 60 centimeters, the leaves sourced from the Poás region in Costa Rica, where growing conditions are ideal, can reach lengths of up to 80 centimeters. Felipe Vega, from the team in Costa Rica, shares more about their journey growing this foliage in that region, sharing more about the roots of the relationship with this plant and what drew them to growing it.
Felipe:
"Cultivating Liriopes means a great blessing to me. This story began many years ago. I was born into a family with limited resources, and we grew up on a coffee farm. During that time, I had the opportunity to meet an older gentleman who was responsible for transporting the plants to a Liriopes company. I visited the company and was able to observe how all the processes of the plants were carried out, which caught my attention.
This inspired me to start acquiring and cultivating these plants. The beginning was very difficult, as I had to learn many things in order to succeed. Today, I am very happy. Through the cultivation of these greens, I've had the opportunity to create a large company that exports them to Europe and provides jobs for many people."
Liriope - A Special Foliage Choice for Floral Arrangements
Liriope has become a popular green in the floral world. Felipe was asked what makes it stand out, particularly when it comes to wedding and event design. He said:
"Lilygrass is truly special because of its green color, texture, and hanging shape. It makes designs for wedding arrangements or any type of floral arrangement look really beautiful. The first step is to make a good selection of the seed for planting. The crops are cared for with much love and high-quality products. This ensures we get a good result in the quality of our green foliage."
For every type of plant and foliage, there are special care tips that should be followed for longer-lasting results. Remember, every plant has its secrets.
Supplier for One of the Most Recognized Green Labels in the Floral Industry
Plantas de mi Tierra is a supplier for one of the most recognized green labels in the floral industry. This said, how did that connection with Adomex form, and what has the experience been like so far as part of OrcaGreen?
Felipe:
"The collaboration started when I had the opportunity to export our foliage to the Netherlands. It was there that Adomex was able to see the quality of the Liriopes and became interested in our product. This motivated their representatives to visit us, learn about our company, and negotiate the product directly. This was a great blessing for Plantas de mi Tierra."
Q: How does it feel to see your product travel from your land into the hands of floral designers across the world?
"As a company, we are very happy and proud to know that the Lilygrass we cultivate with so much love reaches the hands of people who enjoy creating beautiful floral arrangements with it."
Q: What values or principles guide your company, especially regarding sustainability or respect for the land?
"The main values and principles are hard work, responsibility, and respect for nature, protecting the land with high-quality products that do not harm the environment, while also protecting it from diseases and pests, thus achieving foliage of very high quality."
As his last thoughts, Felipe shared:
"The most memorable moment was many years ago when we sent an order to the United States, and I had the opportunity to receive it and see how satisfied the customer was with the product and quality. I truly felt very proud of our work and motivated to keep improving every day.
We want florists to be confident that our product is cultivated, processed, and packed with great responsibility and care, ensuring we send high-quality ever green Liriope foliage, which is our main mission."
All in all, greens are always a good idea!
