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Wedding Cake Tree and Bismarck Palm


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Palm or Cycad  
Tree  

Origin
Madagascar  
India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea  

Types
Bismarckia nobilis  
Cornus controversa  

Number of Varieties
1  
1  

Habitat
Subtropical climates, tropical environments  
Woodland Garden Canopy  

USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15  
5-8  

AHS Heat Zone
12-9  
8-1  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24  
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  

Habit
Oval or Rounded  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
152.00 cm  
99+
1,070.00 cm  
38

Minimum Width
610.00 cm  
34
610.00 cm  
34

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Light Yellow  
White, Ivory  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Brown, Chocolate  
Burgundy, Dark Blue, Black  

Leaf Color in Spring
Blue Green, Silver, Gray  
Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Silver, Gray  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Silver, Gray  
Light Yellow, Burgundy, Dark Red  

Leaf Color in Winter
Silver, Gray  
-  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Costapalmate  
Ovate  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Well drained  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Late Spring, Early Summer  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
No  

Tolerances
Drought, Salt  
-  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Seedlings  
Grafting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs  
Requires regular watering during dry weather  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Type
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  
-  

Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer  
No fertilizers needed  

Pests and Diseases
Larva, Palmetto weevil  
Bacterial leaf spot, Canker, Powdery mildew  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
Yes  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
-  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
-  

Foliage Texture
Bold  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
No  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
No  

Attracts
Hummingbirds  
Birds  

Allergy
Oral Cancers  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
Used in parkland  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification  
Air purification  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Antidepressant  
Antiphlogistic  

Part of Plant Used
Nut  
Fruits, Leaves  

Other Uses
Chewing  
Oil used in the lubricating and soap industry  

Used As Indoor Plant
Sometimes  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Tropical  
Shade Trees, Street Trees  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
BISMARCKIA nobilis  
CORNUS controversa  

Common Name
Bismarck Palm  
Giant Dogwood, Wedding Cake Tree  

In Hindi
Bismarck Palm  
Wedding Cake Tree  

In German
Bismarck Palm  
Hochzeitstorte Baum  

In French
Bismarck Palm  
Gâteau de mariage Arbre  

In Spanish
Bismarck Palm  
Pastel de bodas del árbol  

In Greek
Bismarck Palm  
Γαμήλια τούρτα Δέντρο  

In Portuguese
Bismarck Palm  
Árvore do bolo de casamento  

In Polish
Bismarck Palm  
Wedding Cake Drzewo  

In Latin
Bismarck Palm  
MUSTACEUM ligno  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Monocotyledonae  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Arecales  
Cornales  

Family
Arecaceae  
Cornaceae  

Genus
Bismarckia  
Cornus  

Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots  

Tribe
Borasseae  
-  

Subfamily
Coryphoideae  
Cornoideae  

Number of Species
1  
3  

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