Photo by David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0Karanda'y palm
Copernicia alba · karanda'y
The palm of the Humid Chaco: it forms palm forests in marshes that flood.
What it is
A slender-trunked palm with waxy, fan-shaped leaves that forms vast palm groves on flood-prone soils. It copes well with both water and heat. Its hard, straight trunk has been used for fence posts and for power and telephone poles. Its heart is eaten as palmito (heart of palm), and its leaves are the raw material for hats and basketry.
Did you know…?
The traditional pirí hat is woven from karanda'y leaves in towns such as Luque, Limpio and Tobatí. Two leaves are enough for one hat.
Season
Striking all year round. The flooded palm groves are most photogenic in the rainy season (summer and autumn).
Where
Palm groves along the Transchaco Highway from Villa Hayes, the Lower Chaco, Tinfunqué and the Pantanal. Also in southern wetlands such as Ñeembucú.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 2 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.