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Peru's seven-headed palm: tree of prophecy [1]
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Date: 2025-08-01
This peculiar palm tree in Peru, shared by Atlas Obscura, grows like a serpent across the ground, and locals trim one of its "heads" to ward off disaster. In Cachiche, near the city of Ica, the "Palmera de Siete Cabezas" (Seven-headed Palm Tree) has become both a tourist attraction and a source of local superstition. Instead of growing tall like typical palms, this tree lies horizontally, with multiple trunk-like branches that local residents call "heads."
The tree's mystique stems from a deathbed prophecy by Julia Hernández Pecho, a renowned local healer who died at age 106. As reported by Atlas Obscura, she warned that when the palm's seventh head reached full growth, Ica would face destruction. The prediction seemed true to many in 1998 when, after the seventh head was allegedly left unpruned, Ica experienced unprecedented flooding.
Today, visitors can find the seven-headed palm near a park dedicated to Cachiche's healing traditions. The site honors local healers including Hernández Pecho, whose legacy lives on through this botanical oddity and the community's dedication to maintaining it. Many people visit the park just to see the tree and count its heads. I'd love to be able to see this magnificent tree in person.
See also: Watch palm tree burn after being struck by lightning in Scottsdale, Arizona
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