Corozo palm, a traditional construction material
Among the many uses of the Corozo palm, the utilization of palm fronds as roofing material is by far the most prevalent. A large proportion of homes and structures are constructed using corozo fronds throughout areas where the palm grows abundantly. The homes pictured here are located in Q’eqchi’ communities in the Guatemalan department of Izabal.

Corozo palms are cultivated and maintained in and around communities that utilize their leaves for construction material. Large corozo palms are a common site both within a village, and standing as groves inside of cattle pastures. When regularly pruned for their large fronds, which reach over three meters in length, the palms take on an upward-reaching, fountain-like shape that is distinct from wild palms that are not being harvested.

The wood used to construct the walls of these structures is harvested from local forests. Many useful plants, other than corozo, are also grown throughout these self sufficient communities. A wide variety of fruit trees are cultivated and maintained for everyday use and kitchen gardens are numerous between different homes.

