Colombia: 'Living Corpses': Why Colombia's National Tree Is at Risk

Nov 5, 2018 | Lucy Sherriff, BBC
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"They are essentially living corpses," says Colombian scientist Rodrigo Bernal of Colombia's national tree. The ceroxylon quindiuense, a distinct species of palm tree which was declared the country's national tree in 1985, is on the verge of extinction and most Colombians are not even aware of the problem. That is because it takes decades for the palms to show signs of decay, even when they have already reached the end of their lifespan and scientifically they are dead, explains Mr Bernal. He is one of the scientists who has been studying the trees over the past two decades and he is more than a little worried.