Bismarckia nobilis

Bismarck palm

Bismarck palms are huge, gracious trees native to the island of Madagascar, off the east coast of Africa. If you are planting Bismarck palm trees, be sure that you reserve enough space. Each tree can grow to 60 feet (18 m.) high with a spread of 16 feet (5 m.). In fact, everything about this attractive tree is oversized. The silvery-green copal mate leaves can grow to 4 feet (1 m.) wide, and it isn’t unusual to see trunks as thick as 18 inches (46 cm.) in diameter. Experts do not recommend growing Bismarck palms in a small backyard since they tend to dominate the space. Growing Bismarck palms is easiest in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, since the species can be damaged by freezing temperatures. Bismarck palm care is not difficult or time-consuming once the tree is established in an appropriate location.