Why did the flower spike on odontoglossum (I think) die?

[cgray]

I recently received an orchid as a gift and the only information was a little tag with "Odcdm. Wildcat "Golden Red Star' " on it. I believe it was purchased at Home Depot. It was flowering when I received it but the flowers started to wilt pretty quickly and then the entire flower spike turned all brown and looks pretty dead. I have only had phals before so I am not sure if this is normal with these types of if there is something really wrong with it. Thank you for any helpful advice.

[kalanchoe]

Hi cgray! Welcome to Orchid Board!

While having your flower spike die is disappointing, it is not necessarily concerning. Spikes only last so long, and it's hard to say how long your plant had already been flowering when you received it. Also, it is common for orchids to respond to a change in environment by aborting their flower spikes, and this is a normal response to such stress. If this is the only problem that you've noticed with your orchid, I wouldn't say that there's anything wrong. Just focus on learning about your new plant, maintaining its root health, and eventually you'll get a new spike to enjoy!

[Wjs2nd]

Home depot usually doesn't have it's orchids potted properly. The pots generally have no drainage holes. You might need a new pot with drainage holes.

[Zoi2]

Hello and welcome to the OB.
I agree with both kalanchoe and wjs2nd.
Joann