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leekle2mane

Palm Reading

Sort of. I'm actually looking for an identification of this palm that I have seen at Sea World - Orlando several times but never remembered to get a picture of to get it identified. I finally remembered. The picture really doesn't do it justice as you don't really get a sense of scale here. But in person this thing is just huge when compared to most palms I encounter. It is easily 15-20 ft wide.

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Comments (13)

  • miketropic
    11 years ago

    I would say it was a bismark but that smooth lower trunk is throwing me off...still looks like a bismark to me but I am far from an expert

  • Michael AKA Leekle2ManE
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Looking at pictures of other Bismarks, I think you are correct. I even see some that have been smooth trimmed like this one. I've seen people talk about Bismarks on this forum many, many times. I guess I just never got to see one this big. Or just didn't realize it. In the google images there's one that looks like it might make this one look a little on the small side.

    Thanks for the help!

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    It is a Bismarckia nobilis. They normally have a smooth trunk, they're self cleaning. Only very small plants retain the leaf bases. After they start trunking the old leaf bases soon start to fall off. Can't find photos of the tallest I've seen, this is about a medium sized one.

  • miketropic
    11 years ago

    I have 5 seeds in the prop that have been there a bit over a month and nothing. I would love to have a bismarck but once it got that big im not sure what I could do with it seeing my climate and all

  • garyfla_gw
    11 years ago

    hi
    There is one directly in front of the home depot in Lake Park florida was planted when they opened the center in 1981 is around 30 feet tall . Doesn't even resemble a Bismark now lol. It is seeding for the first time and i couldn't help but steal a couple of seeds lol Only one I've ever seen with seeds lol I'll try to get a pic of it
    because it looks so unlike a bismark but i know it is as I saw it planted. One of my favorite palms !! gary

  • wilki
    11 years ago

    Here are two larger Bismark Palms I photographed at Ponce Inlet, Florida.

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    This one's dropped a lot of its seed already. But it's been seeding for some years, the ground around the base was covered with seedlings as well as dead ones from being mown over. Obviously the gardeners don't want a thicket of them.

  • miketropic
    11 years ago

    I really love this palm..I wish these seeds I got would open up!

  • tropicalzone7
    11 years ago

    Bismarkias are one of my favorite palms! They do great as potted palms outdoors, but hate being indoors in my experience. They are often sold here at local nursuries as "summer annuals", some are 20 feet tall. It's a shame that people buy them and let them die every winter around here.
    Some of the nicest bismarkias I have seen are in EPCOT in Disney World. Animal Kingdom has some nice ones too. They seem to be getting very popular in Central Florida landscapes over the past decade.
    -Alex

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    They are very cheap here as a small potted plant, but those larger ones would cost a fortune. To use those as an annual seems irresponsible, both financially and horticulturally.

  • kinzyjr {Lakeland, FL - USDA: 9b, Record: 20F}
    11 years ago

    Definitely a Bismarck palm. We have a really nice one at Lake Hollingsworth. They are reasonably fast growing here. When I first got here, the one at the lake was only my height. It's now well over 20 feet tall. The leaves are easily a yard across. The blue tint makes it very desirable. Wonderful palms if you have the space for them.

  • miketropic
    11 years ago

    well tropicalzone 7B next time you see a small one for sale give me the contact info and I will see if they will ship it this way.

  • tropicbreezent
    11 years ago

    I took this photo the other day. Plenty of seeds and seedlings there for the taking ;O)

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