Concern over a decline in galax — a native Southern Appalachian forest plant sought by the floral industry worldwide — has led to a ban on the collection of the plant in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests from May 1 to June 15, a critical growth period for galax colonies.

The round glossy galax leaves are sturdy, have a long-shelf life and hold up to shipping, making them a hot commodity in floral arrangements. It is estimated that up to 2 billion galax leaves are harvested annually at a value of over $20 million.

Locals have long-engaged in the harvest of galax, known as “pullin’ galax” due to the hand motion used to pick the leaves. But the National Forest Service began witnessed a dramatic increase in galax collection since the mid to late-1990s.

“An influx of new ‘Galax pullers’ may not be using traditional methods of low-impact harvest. As a consequence, traditional Galax collecting areas have been stripped of larger marketable leaves and demand for new collection sites is rising,” according to a 2001 report on Forest Botanical Products published by Gary Kauffman, botanist for the National Forests in North Carolina.

Pressure on galax has increased as commercial gathering of other wild plants, such as ginseng and ramps, has been both limited and banned due to concerns over sustainability. Since 1988, more permits have been issued for Galax collectors in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests than any other plants.

Ginseng, a root that brings big bucks in the herbal medicine industry, is the most threatened. Poaching of wild ginseng has become such a problem that park rangers implant tracking chips in ginseng roots to track and catch poachers who take it from the park.

Ramps, a potent root similar to green onion that is collected for culinary purposes, are also in danger of being over harvested due to a rise in popularity of the many ramp festivals held throughout the region each spring.

“Spring ramp festivals are a part of local culture, but annual harvest may exceed rate of recovery,” according to the 2001 Forest Botanical Products report.

The galax-picking ban in May and early June could be a precursor to further restrictions down the road. The forest service couched the restriction in an economic context intended to appeal to galax pullers, however.

“Gathering galax at this time of year hurts the galax industry by removing less than mature leaves before they reach optimum value,” a forest service press release stated. “In addition, trampling of the tender leaves by harvesters walking through the galax beds during this sensitive time could be causing additional damage to unharvested leaves.”

When harvesting season reopens June 15, the leaves will be healthier and more valuable thanks to the extra growing time, the forest service stated.

The Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center in Fletcher recently tested the viability of domesticating galax for commercial production.

“Current and projected market demand (for galax) is expected to exceed current sustainable supply. In addition, public lands may become closed or severely limited for galax foliage harvest. Either could destroy this important regional agricultural enterprise,” according to Dr. Richard Bir, a horticulture researcher with North Carolina State University.

Galax grows very slowly and requires shaded woodland environments. It did not respond well to domesticated conditions. Bir concluded that galax propagation is possible, but requires more research. Growing from seed is possible, but takes a long time for the plant to develop. Propagation from existing plants was unsuccessful. Cultivation from tissue samples holds the most promise for rapid reproduction, but would require the most research to perfect.