Herb: Wax Palm


Latin name: Ceroxylon alpinum


Family: Palmae



Edible parts of Wax Palm:

Fruit. We have seen no reports for this species, but the fruit is probably edible.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
20 m
(66 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Cloud forests at high elevations in the Andes.

Other uses of Wax Palm:

A wax obtained from the trunk is used for making candles.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at not less than 24°C. Stored seed is very slow to germinate. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water prior to sowing may shorten the germination time. Plants form a long tap-root some time before forming a shoot so the seed is best sown in groups of two or three in each deep pot, thinning if necessary to the best seedling. Germination of fresh seed usually takes place in 3 - 4 months at 25°C. Grow on the plants in the greenhouse for at least their first two winters and plant out in the summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first few winters outdoors.

Cultivation of Wax Palm:

Cloud forests at high elevations in the Andes.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Ceroxylon alpinum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.