#141 Bismarckia nobilis Common Names: Bismarck palm Family: Arecacea/Palmae (palm Family) Get link to this Profile or click for Datasheet

Even young specimens of Bismarck palm (like this one at Miami's Fairchild Tropical Garden) are imposing, beautiful and impossible to ignore.

Location
Bismarckia nobilis is native to the island of Madagascar which is off the east coast of Africa. Madagascar is home to hundreds of unique and fascinating plant species including many of our favorite palms like the bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis) and the traveler's palm (Ravenala madagascariensis), a palmlike plant related to the bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae).

Culture
This palm is adaptable to many kinds of soil.
Light: Prefers full sun but is tolerant of some shade.
Moisture: Once established this palm is drought tolerant.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 10 - 11. Bismarck palm can be grown in the warmer parts of Zone 9 where it is occasionally damaged by freezing temperatures from which it can recover in a season. I have seen very nice specimens in Orlando, Palm Harbor and Saint Petersburg, Florida (all in Zone 9).
Propagation: Seeds germinate easily in 6 to 8 weeks.

Bismarck palm can be grown in protected situations in parts of Zone 10 like this individual at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida.

Features
Bismarckia nobilis is the only species in the genus. It was a relatively recent introduction to American landscapes (and other warm zone regions of the world). Bismarck palm is rapidly gaining popularity as it is a spectacular species that is drought tolerant and not as subject to disease and nutritional deficiencies as many other landscape palm species. If you have the space to accommodate its impressive bulk, try this handsome brute in your garden.

Jack Scheper 01/22/99; updated 1/3/05

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