Leaves are made from paper. Tried to do gumpaste palm leaves but they were too heavy for the florist wire even when rolled very thin. This was a last minute substitute. I also recognize that some of the things are wrong in scale. The coconuts should have been much larger in comparison to the bannanas and I would have liked to have added 2 more tiers of cake to thin out the tree. Overall, it was for my Goddaughter and she loved it:)