Colombia's Wax Palm

The wax palm or Palma de Cera is the national tree of Colombia. Perhaps this is because it is the worlds tallest palm (towering above the earth at 50 metres), but more likely it is because for centuries, this tree has been a vital resource for Colombians. From its stem, a durable building material, to its fruits which feed many of the countries native animals and the use of its wax which is used to make both candles & soaps, the tree has been an integral part of Colombian history. However there was a time when the wax palm was in danger of extinction.

The sixteenth century saw the colonisation of Columbia by Spanish settlers, these settlers not only brought with them modern technologies but also modern religions. Catholicism was the dominant religion of the settlers who celebrated a day known as Palm Sunday, the annual occasion recognising the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. It is written that the people waved palm fronds in celebration of this event. Though the tradition is respectable, was it worth chopping down rare trees and exploiting local natives? 

The misuse of the wax palm lead to a serious decline in its population throughout the region, and as a result, many Colombians struggled to survive. To them, the tree was seen as a source of hope, a way of life. To religious settlers, it was merely seen as a device for worship. This was the case for hundreds of years.

The struggle between the native Colombians and the Catholics was finally resolved in 1985 when it was made illegal to cut down the native wax palm. As a result the number of trees has greatly increased and tension between the Colombians and the Catholics has decreased.Today, the wax palm acts not as a source of hope, but a source of pride for the locals. They grows safely in the Andes mountains, like giant pinwheels towering above fields, safe from human exploitation.