[4] Bismarckia nobilis grows from solitary trunks, gray to tan in color, which show ringed indentations from old leaf bases.

The nearly rounded leaves are enormous in maturity, over 3 m wide, and are divided to a third its length into 20 or more stiff, once-folded segments, themselves split on the ends.

Petioles are 2–3 m, slightly armed, and are covered in a white wax as well as cinnamon-colored caducous scales; the nearly-spherical leaf crown is 7.5 m wide and 6 m tall.

[7] In Madagascar, Bismarckia nobilis grows at elevations between sea level and 800m across the plains and plateaus of the central highlands, nearly reaching the western and northern coasts, in savannas of low grass, usually in lateritic soil.

[8][9] As much of this land has been cleared with fire for agricultural use, Bismarckia nobilis, along with other fire-resistant trees like Ravenala madagascariensis and Uapaca bojeri, are the most conspicuous components of this arid region.

[8] As of November 2024, the most recent International Union for Conservation (IUCN) Red List assessment was conducted in December 2010 and published in 2021, and Bismarckia nobilis was classified as a species of Least Concern.