We are back with another ‘Around the world’ . In this series we visit a part of the world and tell you more about the local vegetation in relation to the products you can find in our assortment. In this ‘around the world’ edition we explore South America.

Cat palm

Catpalm with its long green fingers, is native to the jungles of Central America. Here you find them growing alongside stream banks, where they enjoy the warmth the sun provides while keeping their feet moist.

You may also know Cat palm as ‘Cataract palm’ or ‘Cascade palm’. The botanical name of the cat palm is ‘Chamaedorea cataractarum’. ‘Chamaedorea’ means (loosely translated) ‘gift on the ground’. We cannot argue with that, but Cat palm is not only a ‘gift on the ground’, but also a true gift in an arrangement. Cat palm has the ability to give your arrangement an instant tropical boost and can also provide a nice ‘frame’ around the arrangement. 

During the Victorian Era owning a palm tree (inside of the home) represented wealth and social status. They especially loved to place them in front of the windows, so all could see the good fortunes of the family living there.  

Heliconia

The pointy Helicionia is a striking appearance due to its interesting shape. Combine this flower with other tropical flowers and foliage, such as leucospermum, grevillea or teepee for example. 

Heliconia originates from South America and from a number of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Heliconia has pointed colored bracts, in which the flowers are hidden. In nature, the hummingbird (amongst other birds and insects)  ensures that the flower is fertilized. 

Heliconia is named after the Greek mountain ‘Mount Helicon’ where, according to the Greek mythology, the muses used to live. The mountain itself was protected the god Apollo, (protector of the arts). According to legend,  a source of water flowed abundantly from mount Helicon. This source of water had the power to keep one fresh and young forever, just like the muses. The heliconia plant should therefore keep you young forever.  
 

Eryngium

The oval Eryngium is surrounded by long and spikey leaves which almost have an almost metallic-like colour. Some Eryngium varieties are, like you would expect by looking at them, coarse to the touch. But not so much that they are impossibly difficult to handle. There are also varieties that feel surprisingly soft. 

Eryngium has a very large family, with over 230 varieties. The biggest part of that family originates from Mexico, South-Brazil and Argentina. In Europe you’ll find this plant at the Mediterranean area. They like the sunlight and don’t seem to have much trouble with dry conditions.
 

Amaranthus

Amaranthus is not particularly picky about its habitat: it can grow in tropical conditions as well as colder climates. This is why you can find Amaranthus in northern Europe and in South America. In South America especially , Amaranthus was an important source of food for the Incas. They used to consume the seeds either raw or cooked.  In the Aztec culture, the seeds were used to prepare ritual drinks and food.  And to this day, the people living in South America are still big fans of the Amaranthus’ seeds. Often they are roasted and sprinkled onto cookies or candy as decoration.  Did you know that Quinoa is also a member of the Amaranthus family? The seeds of this variety are processed and made into a type of rice. Quinoa has gained popularity over the last few years, and is a good addition to the diets of vegans and vegetarians for example. 

Depending on the season, Amaranthus is often available in a large variety of (painted) colours. The standard colour in our assortment is however white.