The Tallest Palm Trees in the World

My hike through the Valle del Cocora in the middle of Colombia’s coffee highlands was particularly impressive. The reason is the tallest palm tree in the world growing there: the Quindio wax palm, Colombia’s national tree. Like so many natural beauties, this one is threatened with destruction, a local told me. Excessive cattle ranching would eat away some of the plant’s germs, and the good wood from the large trees, as well as their coveted palm fronds (used for Palm Sunday processions), would unfortunately lead to more and more deforestation of the beautiful palm forests. I was glad to have experienced this landscape while it still existed.

Valle del Cocora (Colombia), June 2009