One of our fabulous salesmen, Owzan Koohestan, spent a week in Columbia and he chose the Quindío wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) as ArborNote’s Tree of the Week! This palm species can grow to a height of 148 ft —or rarely, even as high as 200. It is the tallest recorded monocot in the world! The trunk is cylindrical, smooth, light colored, covered with wax. The wax of the trunk was used to make candles, especially in the 19th century. The outer part of the stem of the palm has been used locally for building houses, and was used to build water supply systems for impoverished farmers. It actually thrives in colder climates, and at higher elevations. The elevational range of this species is between 6,600 and 10,200 ft above sea level. The palm is recognized as the national tree of Colombia, and since the implementation of Law 61 of 1985, it is legally a protected species in that country.