New leaf after a terminal spike?

[mascia]

My mom bought a bunch of phals on sale and I noticed one of them had a terminal spike. I was planning on planting it on a tree outside and hope it creates a Keiko, but today I looked closer and it is sending out a new leaf.
Is this a common occurrence? Will it ever bloom again?

[camille1585]

It's looks like it might not be a true terminal spike. While it appears to be coming from the crown, it's a bit to the side so it may be growing from the normal spot for a spike (at the base of the leaf). Though it's very unusual for a Phal to spike from one of the newest nodes!

I'm going to guess that the apical meristem is still fully functional and that palnt should normally bloom again, though it might be from a weird spot again!

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by mascia

Will it ever bloom again?

Maybe it will bloom again. Chances are good. Since a new leaf is developing, and since the spike appears to be 'next door' to the most recent big leaf, then there are quite promising signs. False alarm most likely.

[aliceinwl]

I’ve read that Phalaenopsis ‘Timothy Christopher’ which is prone to producing terminal spikes sometimes keeps growing from the original crown despite the terminal spike. Based on this, it sounds like it’s now out of the realm of possibility.

[Fairorchids]

It could be a true terminal spike, but then a keiki is starting from the top node (instead of further down, as is more common).

[mascia]

Thank you! All the replies were very interesting. At first I thought maybe it was coming from the 2nd to last leaf, so that was why it was able to keep growing. I had no idea it could create a keiki from the top node.

Anyway, here's a closer look:

[DirtyCoconuts]

i think that is a normal crown leaf coming in in normal course..the spike is (somehow) coming from the most recent leaf as opposed to a lower bract.

I suspect there was a trauma that made the plant concerned (anthropomorphizing) so it changed it's hormones to bud and then it normalized...just my guess from the last pic....most keikis come out rounder than that in my experience

[SouthPark]

mascia - congrats ! Looks like whichever case it is - if you keep looking after that orchid and maintain good growing conditions - it is going to keep growing one way or another, and it'll bloom again!