Palm of the
Month:
December,2000
Bismarckia nobilis
The Bismarck Palm
The Bismarckia nobilis is
a magnificent, large palm that features a heavy crown of huge blue-green fronds which make
a scraping, creaking sound in a gentle breeze! The trunk is rather stout and
squat, and may reach 10 metres tall in its natural habitat.
Its fruit is about 3 cm.
across and brown when ripe. Once it establishes itself in cultivation, it tends to
be rather fast-growing! The Bismarckia is ideal for a large grouping of palms, and
looks best where it can be seen, from all directions, out in the open, where the species
can truly develop its eventual grand size! It requires a sunny planting location,
that is also, well-drained.
 The
Bismarck palm performs well where there is a distinct wet & dry season (similar to the
Island of Madagascar). It also prefers a temperature range for optimal growth of
from 4 degrees C. to 36 degrees C. The Bismarckia prefers rainfall when it is
combined with summertime warmth, which is another reason that Coastal California is less
than optimal for this handsome species of palm. Unfortunately, CA receives the bulk
of its rainfall in winter when the Bismarckia is basically dormant. Due to that
combination, the Bismarckia Palm can be subject to root rot in California's typical winter
rainfall plus "cool" weather combination.
 This
is a "monotypic" genus of palm, (no other member in its genus), which is endemic
to the wet & hot, then seasonally dry & coolish winter's climate typically found
in Madagascar. Unfortunately, in its natural region of origin, it is not found
naturally, in great numbers, any longer! It is a wonderful, and impressive palm for
SE Florida, extreme So. Texas (Rio Grande Valley Region), Queensland AU, and similar
climates. It is not quite so well adapted to So. California, as summer temperatures
are not "tropical", but it can be found there, in limited numbers, and
with mixed cultivation successes!
Your "Wise
Gardener" is partial to blue-green fan palms, and rather massive, long-lived palms,
that seems to have few "pests", save for the palm leaf skeletoniser, which
deforms leaves, but doesn't cause more than superficial damage to the Bismarckia, and for
these reasons, I have deemed the Bismarckia nobilis your December, 2000 Blue Ribbon Palm
of the Month!
Paul,
"The Wise Gardener!"
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