Ceroxylon quindiuense

The wax palm grows up to 50 m tall in good growing conditions and is not only the tallest palm but the tallest monocot in the world. The leaves are dark green and grayish, with a petiole up to 2 m long. The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored and covered with wax, When the leaves die they fall and this forms a dark ring around the trunk. The palm is recognized as the national tree of Colombia, and since the implementation of the law 61 of 1985 is legally a protected species. Ceroxylon quindiuense has an extremely slow growth and can live up to a hundred years. It was observed by Alexander von Humboldt, for the first time, in 1801.

Ceroxylon quindiuense growing wild in Cocora valley near Salento, Colombia Conservation status Vulnerable (IUCN 2. More

Ceroxylon quindiuense can be found in the South America Garden (Bed 55A). More