leaf fiber, hard, coarse fiber obtained from leaves of certain monocotyledonous plants (flowering plants that usually have parallel-veined leaves, such as agaves, bromeliads, and palms), used mainly for cordage. Such fibers, usually long and stiff, are also called “hard” fibers, distinguishing them from the generally softer and more flexible fibers of the bast, or “soft,” fiber group. Leaf fibers, like other natural fibers, are biodegradable and are considered more ecologically sustainable than polyester or nylon cordage made from fossil fuels.

Within a leaf

Leaf fiber is primarily made of cellulose and lignin, and is mainly obtained from sword-shaped leaves that are thick, fleshy, and often hard-surfaced, such as those of plants of the agave subfamily (Agavoideae), a major source. The leaves are strengthened and supported by fiber bundles, often several feet long, composed of many overlapping sclerenchyma cells, or true plant fibers, held together by gummy substances. The fiber generally traverses the length of the leaf and is often densest near the leaf undersurface. Leaves of the abaca plant, with fiber bundles concentrated in the stalks, are an exception.

Uses and harvesting

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Leaf fibers are typically very labor intensive to harvest and process. The leaves are hand-harvested, and their fiber is separated from the surrounding leaf tissue by decortication, a hand or machine scraping or peeling process, then cleaned and dried. The released fiber bundles, or strands, are not separated into individual fiber cells and are called fibers in the trade. Sisal, abaca, and henequen lead in world production.

Leaf fibers are chiefly employed for such cordage as rope and twine. They may also be used for woven fabrics, usually requiring no spinning for this purpose. Some leaf fibers are used to make specialty papers (including currency), and in products such as filters, mattresses, carpets, and handicrafts. Pineapple leaf fiber is one of the more silky leaf fibers and can be made into a fine textile known as piña cloth, which is used in the Philippines for the beautiful barong—a traditional embroidered shirt—as well as for wedding gowns and other traditional costumes. Many potentially useful leaf fibers, including those from agricultural wastes, remain unexploited because of the limitations of existing cultivation and processing methods and the increased use of synthetic fibers for cordage.