The giant, bizarre palm species with straight, towering trunks reaching an astonishing height of 50 meters can only be found in Colombia.
Growing in the humid montane forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Colombia and Peru, the Quindío wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) is the tallest monocot plant in the world.
This palm tree species can grow to heights of 45-60 meters. This is an impressive figure compared to some related species such as the betel palm (Areca catechu) – which grows to 20 meters, or the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) – which reaches 30 meters.
The Quindío wax palm has a smooth, cylindrical trunk that is light-colored and covered in wax. Its leaves are dark green or slightly gray, around 2 meters long, and can reach up to 5 meters, with petioles approximately 80 cm long. The fruit is spherical and turns orange-red when ripe, measuring 1.6–2 cm in diameter.
As a plant that thrives in high-altitude climates, the Quindío wax palm grows in large clusters at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,100 meters above sea level.
The impressive height and dense density of this species create a landscape that is characteristic of the region, unlike any other ecosystem in the world.
Tall, straight palm trees reaching skyward.
These palms can live up to 50 years.
The Quindío wax palm populations provide habitats (food sources, shelter, nesting sites, etc.) for countless different animal species, including many rare and endangered parrots.
For human life, the Quindío wax palm has numerous uses. The fruits are used as livestock feed.
Wax extracted from the trunk is used to make candles, while the outer layer of the trunk is used as building material, especially for creating water conduits for agriculture in remote areas.
Since 1985, the Quindío wax palm has been recognized by the Colombian government as the national tree and is protected by law.
In recent years, these unique palm populations have been seriously threatened due to environmental degradation, overexploitation, and the spread of diseases.
Dubbed the tallest palm species in the world that can grow up to 50 meters, the wax palm is an endemic species of Colombia.
