Quindío Wax Palm

"The Quindío wax palm is the World’s largest palm. Found in montane forests of the Andes it can grow up to 60 metres tall . . . The species is the national tree and emblem of Colombia, where it is found in the coffee growing region of Quindío. Traditionally, the young leaves were used during ‘Semana Santa’ or Holy Week – an important cultural festival. However, recently a ban has been introduced to stop the practice due to the large quantities collected, which had reached a commercial scale. The tree is also used to make fencing, beams and walls of houses across its range. The wax was used for making candles and matches until the middle of the 19th Century. The extraction of the wax often involved felling the trees. In Peru, adult trees are still exploited for wax, which are often combined with material to make components for torches and lighting." Currently, "its population is threatened by the intensive deforestation for conversion to pasture as well as disease. Although Colombian legislation forbids the logging of this species, large parts of the remaining population are found in extensive pastures as mature individuals incapable of reproduce in these deforested landscapes where grazing is intensive."