| Life form | Tree |
| Family | Aracaceae |
| Origin and distribution | Western and Northern Madagascar. A synonym is Bismarck’s palm tree. |
| Ease of cultivation | Lung |
| The size | In nature up to 60 m. |
| Growth rate | High, up to 1-2 leaves per month, requires a lot of space indoors. |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Temperature | Carries a wide range of temperatures: from +50 to +113 ° F, it is desirable not to allow a prolonged drop in temperatures below +60,8-64,4 ° F. Nevertheless, the palm can withstand a short-term exposure to temperatures of 26,6 ° F. However, the result can be a drop of leaves. |
| Humidity | The plant is resistant to dry air, but in conditions of too dry air and high temperatures, spraying is necessary. |
| Lighting | It takes bright light up to 5-6 hours a day, direct sun, south, south-west window is suitable.Supplementary lighting in winter is desirable. |
| The soil | Bismarck has low substrate. The air-permeable soil is preferable, but it also easily tolerates heavy clay soils with the addition of sand and organic materials. |
| Watering | Watering a moderate, however, does not allow the substrate to completely dry out. Sufficiently resistant to drought. |
| How to fertilize | Bismarckia is fed during the growth period with complex mineral fertilizers for trees about once every 2 weeks. |
| Reproduction | It is propagated by seeds. For better germination, it is recommended for cutting. It is also desirable to soak seeds for 6-8 hours in manganese. Later they are placed in a thermos bottle with warm water (temperature about 86 ° F) for about 2 days. It is desirable to replace the water after 24 hours. After the seeds are planted in a sterile mixture of peat and perlite, which is pre-moistened. Deepen the seed approximately 2.5 cm. Germinate at a temperature of about 86 F (for example, on a battery) in the shade, periodically moistening the substrate. Germination lasts from 6-8 weeks to several months. According to some sources, it can last up to six months. After the appearance of seedlings, the pot is removed from the battery and placed in a shade condition, periodically very mildly watering. When the sprout grows strong, they plant it in a permanent substrate and place it on a sunny window. |
| Bloom | At home, almost no flowers. In nature, spiky, hanging inflorescences of dark color are formed. |
| Transplant and care | It is advisable to carry out the transplant as rarely as possible, not more than once every 4 years if the roots appear on the surface or in the opening of the pot. When transplanting, it is very easy to injure the roots, which can even lead to the death of the palm. Therefore, in adult plants, only the top layer of the soil is replaced. Bismarckia needs a narrow but deep pot. The palm needs to remove the old dried leaves. Those leaves that are not dried completely, it is better to leave on the plant, their premature removal depletes potassium in the plant. |
| Difficulties | Sufficiently resistant to pests. It is affected spider mites and scale insects. For Bismarckia, nothing more is dangerous than drying, and excessive moisture, especially at low temperatures, which can lead to root rot. |
| Beneficial features | Used as a decorative palm tree for landscaping in tropical countries. |
| Toxicity | Bismarckia is not poisonous, but can be dangerous for small children and pets, as it stalks have very sharp edges and cuts can be obtained at the inaccurate reference to the plant. |
