It requires well-drained soil and shade when young, after which it can take full sun. It has been quite cold-tolerant at Fairchild Tropical Garden. It grows slowly, producing only four to five leaves a year. However, these are a brilliant red when newly expanded, a reward for patience, althought not every specimen has this trait. This is a graceful plant, with a slender ringed trunk and an open crown of just a few arching fronds.
Flowers are pink to cream-colored, and the fruit is crimson.
A native of western Madagascar savannahs, this palm is extraordinarily tough and well-adapted in South Florida. It's very sensitive to transplanting, but root pruning helps avoid shock to the plant. The Bismarck palm has a stout trunk and massive fan leaves, light blue-gray shot with silver. It grows slowly when immature. Its arching leaves and delicate proportions make it a lovely specimen even when young.