Ceroxylon alpinum
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Synonymy:
Ceroxylon andicolum
Common Names:
Andean Wax Palm
Distribution & Habitat:
Columbian, and Venezuelan cloud forest, at about 2000m above sea level in the Andes.
Description:
A very tall, solitary, pinnate palm, up to 30m tall, with dark green leaves, that are powdery white underneath
Culture:
Cool, sheltered and moist. Prefers a mild temperate climate, and doesn't like hot weather. Very slow growing.
These Ceroxylons were at about 2000 meters at the upper limit of their
range (1500-2000 meters), right below Ceroxylon quindiuense in
cloudforest area. The climate is cool and moist year round,
with not much variation. They are endangered in Colombia because
they grow in premontane wet forest, which is premium Coffee growing country.
I'm not sure how often it rains, but there is a lot of fog usually which keeps
it moist. There were a few alpinums above this area, but all cultivated.
Ceroxylon quindiuense grows from 2000-3100 meters above sea level.
C. alpinum is probably more heat tolerant than C. quindiuense is.
Contributed by:
Michael Calonje,
Collectors Seeds (Figure 1&2)