Ceroxylon quindiuense

Ceroxylon quindiuense is a tall, slow-growing wax palm native to the Andes of Colombia and Peru. Known as the Quindío wax palm, it is Colombia’s national tree.

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Ceroxylon: Ceroxylon is a genus of high-elevation palms native to the Andes, commonly called wax palms. This genus contains the Quindío wax palm and other closely related Andean species.
National symbols of Colombia: National symbols of Colombia are emblems and organisms officially or culturally associated with the country. Colombia adopted the Quindío wax palm as its national tree.
Quindío Department: Quindío is a department in Colombia’s central-western Andes. The palm’s common name links it to this department, where it is a regional emblem.
Colombian national tree: The Colombian national tree is the Quindío wax palm, designated as a national emblem in 1985. The species’ national status helped make its protection a matter of public identity.
Arecaceae: Arecaceae is the botanical family of palms, a diverse group of flowering plants with distinctive growth forms. Ceroxylon quindiuense belongs to the palm family.
Wax palm wax: Wax palm wax is a substance obtained from the stems of certain Ceroxylon palms and historically used for candles. Harvesting stem wax from this species contributed to damage and decline.
Los Nevados National Natural Park: Los Nevados National Natural Park is a protected area in Colombia’s central Andes. Its protected high-elevation landscapes include habitat for Andean wax palms.
Habitat fragmentation: Habitat fragmentation is the division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Conversion of Andean forests and grasslands reduces and isolates suitable palm habitat.
Palm tree: A palm tree is a tree-like flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, usually with an unbranched stem and a crown of leaves. Its familiar tree-like form comes from palm growth rather than the wood-producing growth of many trees.
Palm Sunday: Palm Sunday is a Christian observance commemorating Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, traditionally marked with palm leaves. Demand for its leaves for Palm Sunday observances has threatened wild populations.