The Silver Bismarck Palm #3

Botanical Name : Bismarkia nobilis (silver form)

Strolling along Lorong Maarof in Bangsar, KL one could be mistaken for being transported to the wonderful island of Madagascar, affectionately known as "no place else on earth" for its ultra unique (weird?) flora and fauna.

Having "surveyed" the top half of this street (both sides) earlier for its multiples of Foxtail Palms (Wodyetia bifurcata), the grand numbers of Bismark Palms along its lower half (on one side only) is even more mind boggling!!!

Had I cared to count, there's 100 or more of the handsome and striking silver form. Such a massive streetscape is an extraordinary sight, not forgetting the local council's deep pockets for such a mega investment!

footpath archway

However, for me, the enjoyment is ALL mine :), as I took time to frame its most interesting and productive development, the various flowering and fruiting specimens.

miniscule light yellow blooms

fruity droops

largest bunch

dried out infloresence stalks

The Silver Bismarck Palm #2

Botanical Name : Bismarckia nobilis

Further to earlier post The Bismarck Palm, this is one humongous and healthy specimen located at The Secret Garden.  As for its age, I probably cannot tell.  But the girth or circumference of its trunk, easily 40-50 inches thick.  So one very stocky palm indeed.

This native of Madagascar, named after the first German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, is the most obvious choice for new landscape ideas in terms of its dynamic structure and colour.  Certainly,the most recognizable guy around town!

Its enormous silver/blue palmate leaves are about 5ft wide and deeply furled. Looking closely at the petioles, you will notice a white wax coating plus some cinnamon-brown dusted powder nearer the leaf ends.

The Silver Bismarck Palm

Botanical Name : Bismarckia nobilis

This palm just won 'pole position' for the start of this blog. 

My plan was to start with some smaller palms found in the homes and gardens. However, on the way to Bandar Utama, we took a unplanned detour into a residential estate at Bukit Jelutong. The first sight which greeted me was the number of Bismarck Palms.  It was stunning - beauty in numbers! There must have been 7-8 palms each on either side of the grassy kerb which formed the landscape at the round about.

Shame, I had missed that photo opportunity but certainly the picture perfect image had remained clearly in my mind. I hope to re-visit the scene sometime.  For now, enjoy a smaller potted version outside The Curve.

Stunning, attractive, majestic, beautiful etc... and all the superlatives one could use to describe this most sought after of palms, if space is not a constraint...

The huge fan-shaped leaves, striking in blue green and almost silverish, on the underside. 

And to top it all, this special one is maintained with a high degree of TLC (tender loving care) - a weaved lattice work. Such creativity...