The Bismarck palm is a member of the palm family (Arecaceae) native to Madagascar, where it grows in open grassland. The genus is named for the first chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, and the epithet, nobilis , is Latin for "noble." The Bismarck Palm is the only species of this genus. Plant in the full sun in well-drained soil though this palm seems to perform in clay soils. Its silver-blue leaves really pop in the landscape when planted near dark green-leaved plants. The Bismarck palm can adapt to either acidic or alkaline soil. Bismarck Palms tolerate some drought, and because of their massive crowns, they need plenty of room in a landscape area. The plant grows as a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, 12 to 16 inches in diameter at maturity and slightly bulging at the base. In their natural habitat, they can reach 82 feet in height but usually get no taller than 40 feet in cultivation. The rounded leaves are up to 9 feet wide and divided to a third of their length into 20 or more stiff, once-folded segments. Fibers persist between the leaf segments. The large, brown fruit can be messy. This palm makes a fine specimen or street tree, or an accent in a sunny garden. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Bismarck palms will suffer from cold damage, but they quickly recover. The green variety is damaged at 32 °F, but the silver-gray variety will tolerate 27 °F.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAgaveChaenomeles speciosa Double Take™ Peach 'NCCS4'Nolina nelsonii
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Tree
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf feel
Rough; Waxy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Waxy coating gives a gray-silver appearance on large palmate fan-shaped leaves that fall off naturally as they age. A green leaf variety exists (which is less hardy to cold).
Flower color
Brown/Copper
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Separate male and female trees. Small brown flowers.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit detail
In female plants, flowers mature to a dark brown, ovoid, obtuse bi- or tri-lobed drupe with a single seed.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Smooth grey-brown very straight trunk marked with spiral twists and ringed indentations from old leaf bases
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Northern and Western Madagascar
Distribution
Indonesia and Australia, Florida, a few areas of Southern California, southern and southeastern Texas, and southern Arizona.