Bismarckia "crimson pink" form?

[Afripalm]

I recently bought this Bizzie to replace a "silver" form one I lost in our winter - which saw a fifteen year low of -5.2 degrees centigrade. The colouration is distinctly pink and all my internet searches drew a blank on this variation in the Bismarck palm. I would appreciate any comments or input as to whether this is an established variation or possibly due to some other cause such as cold stress, nutrient deficiency etc. The leaf segments are apparently healthy with a leathery, waxy feel - not dried out or brittle at all. I also saw these palms prior to the winter season and their appearance was the same. Their were approx six of these at the nursery and about half showed the same characteristics and have been sitting at the nursery for at least the last 4-5 years. The fronds seems relatively stunted in their growth though, as they are smaller than those of the previuos Bismarckia that I lost to the winter. These Bismarckias were relatively unaffected by the cold despite being unprotected and in an area only 10 minutes from where I live.

I welcome your input/thoughts.

Cheers Jeff

[tikitiki]

This is the normal color for a bismarkia this size. It will become more silver as it ages.

[junglegalfla]

I always thought cold brought out that color too? Regardless, I've always been told the more purple/pink when young, the more silver it will be. You're going to have a stunner! It may now like being so close to that wall though

[Walter John]

we call that purple here in burrawang mana.

[Kumar]

This is the normal color for a bismarkia this size. It will become more silver as it ages.

Very interesting photo Jeff - this reminds me of red leafed fan palm I have seen on the internet - though I dont know if that was real.

My two bismarckias are smaller than yours and they show no red colouration at all so I dont agree that it is normal, unless yours is a different variety - which it well might be. If so, congratulations.

[BS Man about Palms]

My "orange" one was always looking good and just getting better...

[Afripalm]

Interesting comments which don't all seem to agree. I must go with Kumar's at this point though as the silver form Bizzie I lost was a younger plant and never displayed this pink/red colouration. I am also hoping it won't outgrow it because it really stood out from the others being sold - and I thought it would create a lovely contrast colour for my garden.

Cheers Jeff

[peachy]

Jeff my Bismarckia displays these pink tones in the winter, and it survived a minus5 freeze event when only 30cms high. Just today I was looking at some 1 metre tall bizzies in a local nursery and one of them had RED in the trunk that would put any lipstick palm to shame. They had pink specimens as well as blue and one dazzling almost white one too. The colours in the younger ones are just highly variable and I can vouch for the cold hardiness of the pinks.

Peachy

[Kumar]

Here is the link to a site that displays what appears to be a really red Red latan; now if only we had bismarckias like that.

[peachy]

Kumar I have 2 of those totally red latanias, sadly once they get to 3 metres high, they only stay red in the petioles.

Peachy

[MattyB]

Some bismarckias just do that purple color when young. It'll turn more green/silver as it gets older.

[tikitiki]

I have seen thousands of "pinkish" seedlings here in Florida and one drive down 95 from west palm to homestead and you will pass a thousand mature trees. Not a single one in pink. I would love it if they did but they always go back to silver. Normal.

[JungleGina]

I have a purple form that turned that reddish color after this winter's freeze. At first, I thought it was dying, although it looked really cool. But it did not die and has lost some of that nice color and is more silver.

[Walt]

I was told that, regarding the silver form bismarkia, that the more purplish they were when young the more cold hardy they will be. In any event, every bismarkia I've ever bought that was of that size in the photo exhibited that purplish color, but grew out of it within a year's time as it got bigger.

[AzulPalmsAZ]

I would love to see some follow up on this one I imagine today this palm is silver? 

[Daryl]

Funny to see such an old thread brought back to life LOL! 

Here's a few young ones growing locally, with different types of colour...

 

[Marius]

Mine definitely turns reddish in winter. On the pics you can see it during winter and then it’s first frond for this summer open and it is the blue summer colour. It looks to me that only the young plants turn reddish in winter. We’ll see as this one matures. 

[Foxpalms]

Is the color because we are going into winter, of just that it's very small at the moment. The seed was only sprouted a few months ago that's how much it's grown over the summer in London! It's been outside since it's been potted up after it sprouted took some time for the first leaf to emerge.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Foxpalms

[D Palm]

Red/purple color is winter, cooler temps and/or less sun. Heat and intense sun bring back the silver. I have not observed this on mature trunking specimens. 

[Foxpalms]

5 minutes ago, D Palm said:

Red/purple color is winter, cooler temps and/or less sun. Heat and intense sun bring back the silver. I have not observed this on mature trunking specimens. 

Probably the reason then the temperatures are cooling as we go into winter and the sun is very weak at this latitude. Its also slightly in the shade, since the sun isn't high enough to reach this part of the garden, like it would in the summer.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Foxpalms

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Foxpalms said:

Probably the reason then the temperatures are cooling as we go into winter and the sun is very weak at this latitude. Its also slightly in the shade, since the sun isn't high enough to reach this part of the garden, like it would in the summer.

Nope....it is something unique to small specimens, even in warmer climates.   Once they put on more size the pink goes away.  

[TomJ]

I was told by more experienced growers that the more red they are as juveniles, the more blue/silver they are as they grow.

I picked out and planted a very red 1 gallon years ago.

That held true for mine.  It was very red when planted out and is now a very silvery adult.