Difference between revisions of "Bismarckia nobilis"

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Image:IMG_1162.JPG|Island of Venizia, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
 
Image:IMG_1162.JPG|Island of Venizia, New Smyrna Beach, Florida
 
Image:B. Nobilis.jpg|Bismarckia Nobilis 15 yrs old from 5 gln, Palm Springs, Ca.
 
Image:B. Nobilis.jpg|Bismarckia Nobilis 15 yrs old from 5 gln, Palm Springs, Ca.
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Image:BNobilismanambe.jpg|Spring Valley, Ca.
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Revision as of 09:22, 30 December 2010

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Words won't work - Bizzy Habitat
Bismarckia nobilis
Ho'o42.jpg
Ho'omaluhia, Hawaii
Scientific Classification
Genus: Bismarckia
Species: nobilis
Synonyms
None set.
Native Continent
Africa
Africa.gif
Morphology
Habit: Solitary
Leaf type: Palmate
Height: 40+ft/12+m
Trunk diameter: 1-2ft/.3-.6m
Culture
Sun exposure: Full hot sun
Watering: Moderate-wet
Soil type: Well draining
Survivability index
Common names
Bismarck palm


Habitat and distribution

They are endemic to western and northern Madagascar where they grow in open grassland.

Description

Bismarckia is a monotypic palm genus named for the first chancellor of the German Empire, Prince Otto von Bismarck and the epithet for its only species, Bismarckia nobilis, comes from Latin for 'noble'.

Or, to put it another way, there's only one species, but what a species!

B. nobilis grows from solitary trunks, gray to tan in color, which show ringed indentations from old leaf bases. Trunks are 30 to 45 cm in diameter, slightly bulging at the base, and free of leaf bases in all but its youngest parts. In their natural habitat they can reach above 25 meters in height but usually get no taller than 12 m in cultivation. The nearly rounded leaves are enormous in maturity, over 3 m wide, and are deeply-divided into 20 or more stiff segments. The leaves are costapalmate, producing a wedge-shaped hastula where the blade and petiole meet. Petioles are 2-3 m, slightly armed, and are covered in a white, waxy material as well as cinnamon-colored scales; the nearly-spherical leaf crown is 7.5 m wide and 6 m tall. Most cultivated Bismarckias feature silver-blue foliage although a green leaf variety exists (which is less hardy to cold). These palms are dioecious and produce pendent inflorescences of small brown flowers which, in female plants, mature to a brown ovoid drupe, each containing a single seed.

Culture

Blue/silver form in Mediterranean climate:

This is a great palm for such a climate, but it never looks quite as amazing/majestic as it does in a more tropical climate. It is highly tolerant of intense, inland heat, growing fastest where it is the hottest. However, it also grows well along the coast of such a climate- but significantly more slowly and with less intense coloration. It is best to grow this palm in a well draining soil, but palms grown in dense clay soils seems to do pretty well. Keeping the soil moist sure seems to keep this palm happier.

Full sun is the best location for this palm. Unfortunately full sun often means the most intense cold exposure in the winter. It is cold tolerant down to the high 20s/-3.3C as a seedling, often being defoliated at temps below 27F/-2.77C (but usually recovers if the bud is treated well). However, as this plant matures its cold tolerance seems to improve dramatically, with some palms surviving temps down near 22F/-5.55C with only moderate leaf damage. Over winter this is one of those palms that tends to go 'into a coma' often not showing the least bit of growth for 4-6 months at a time. However, once it warms up, it is not unusual to see some palms produce up to 1-2 leaves a month (the larger the faster it grows) which is very fast for a Mediterranean climate palm.

Green form in a Mediterranean climate:

Though this form is much faster growing than the blue form in tropical climates, the opposite tends to be true in a Mediterranean climate. In fact, in most such climates, this is known as a very marginal palm, often unable to tolerate much freezing weather at all, and sulking dramatically in prolonged cool seasons. Its culture is so different from the blue-silver forms, that it seems like a totally different species. It is very rare to see this color form growing in a Mediterranean climate, and even rarer to see one in such a climate and healthy looking. This palm always seems to battling some bud-related damage problems. It is not unusual for exceptional palms that seem to be growing well to just up and die with no apparent reason.

Curiosities

Has almost become common, in Southern California. They have invaded Big Box stores, almost like the "Gremlins" from the movie.

The silver form makes newbies to palms scream. Especially against a dark green background.

Image gallery




Many Special Thanks to Ed Vaile for his long hours of tireless editing and numerous contributions.

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