How does a paph age?

[pedidiva]

Hi~~~

I have a few paphs. They are not multi-florals, nor are sequential bloomers (like pinocchio). I understand ( perhaps incorrectly) that they flower from new fans. What I need to understand is how the older fans look when they die off.

Is it one leaf at a time,or do most of the leaves of the older fan die off at the same time? Do the fans die from the periphery into the center, or is it vice-versa?

I have researched, but can find no answers. Paph eductors--please help me.

TIA~~
Pedi
Pedi

[kalanchoe]

I don't have that many paphs, but my experience has been that I lose the oldest leaves one at a time from the oldest fans.

[RosieC]

The older fans tend to die of slowly. On mine I usually see the oldest leaves at the base of the fan dying back first and it works it's way from the outside, until they are all done.

Some Paphs will loose all leaves in a fan over a couple of months, some might take a lot longer to loose all leaves in an old fan. I have one I bought in 2008 and the original fan still has two leaves left. Two fans that bloomed last year still have most of their leaves.

[jaxorchidman]

My oldest paph. of five years still has it's leaves on the oldest fan. It just depends on how healthy it is.

[quiltergal]

I think how long the older fans last depends on the type of plant. I think some are more long lasting than others.

[RosieC]

I agree. My strap leaf/bulldog is the which still has leaves from the fan that flowered in 2008. My Maudiae types seem to loose the leaves on their fans a lot quicker after flowering.

Health probably also plays a part, but some types just don't hold them as long as others.