It requires well-drained soil, and shade when young, after which it can take full sun. It has been noted as being quite cold-tolerant at Fairchild. It grows slowly, producing only four to five leaves a year. However, these are a brilliant red when newly expanded, a reward for patience. It is a graceful plant, with a slender ringed trunk and an open crown of only a few arching fronds.
Flowers are pink to cream and the fruit is crimson.
A native of western Madagascar savannahs, this palm is extraordinarily tough and well-adapted here. It is very sensitive to transplanting, but root pruning will help avoid shock to the plant. The Bismarck palm has a stout trunk and massive fan leaves. The leaves are a light blue-gray shot with silver. This Cuban species, which is found in dry savannahs and woodlands, should be grown in well-drained soil.