Madagascar Palm Surprises

My inherited Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lamerei) is offering up surprises this year.

It's a pillar of spiky loveliness, adding the perfect vertical element to the bed closest to the front door even when seen from down the street. Look closely though and you will be doubly rewarded...

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The mantises seem to love climbing it...

...loving the protection that the spines provide -- I guess.

They're hanging around long enough to grow a bit too:

I don't think I've ever seen the mantis and its old too-small skin before! (I've seen skins but not the owners.)

A sibling calls another branch of this 7' (2m) tall beast home:

Finding the mantises that I (probably) released earlier is always a treat for me, but this year there's more...

...as the plant is going to bloom!

The previous owner commented that it does bloom, but I didn't get any last year so I wasn't sure what to expect or if I was doing something "wrong".

Up above though, definitely something exciting going on!

Can't wait to see what they look like!

Must resist Google search...

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