Are purple phalaenopsis dyed?

[lund0682]

I've been caring for the orchid collection of an older friend of mine. These are mostly phalaenopsis, and mostly noids. They are cast-offs from her work, which is an organization that buys things that are in bloom and then pitches them when the flowers are gone. My friend takes these home and places them in her beautiful front sunroom. This has been a kind of hospice environment for plants, providing them with a quiet place where they can die peacefully, sometimes lingering for a year or two.

Well. That was the case until I came along. Now the plants are beginning to prosper and we are enjoying reblooming orchids!

It's fun to see the new flower spikes and the buds, and always exciting to see what the flowers will look like. The latest is a real surprise. It's some kind of miniature phalaenopsis, with very dark purple flowers. I've seen this color at the Big Box Stores, and always have assumed that it was artificial and that the flowers were somehow dyed to achieve this, but I have to admit that I don't really know.

Are orchids actually dyed to get these dark purple colors? If so, how long does the dye stay in the plant? I guess I assumed that the dye would get "worked out of the system" of the plant and that subsequent blooms would be white. These flowers do have white edges, so maybe it just takes a while to use up the color. I'm curious to see how things look the next time this one blooms.

[jkofferdahl]

There absolutely are dyed orchids. I often see pale blue flowers at the grocery which are the result of dyed whites. However, I think yours is real. First, the color is natural (I've seen plenty of Phals with that coloration). Second, if dye had been used the flowers wouldn't still be edged with white. It's a lovely bloom.

[Optimist]

Phal. Chiada Stacy 'Chocolate Drop''
(P. Caribbean Sunset x P. Sunrise Red Peoker)

(or something near to that). The plant is not dyed. That is the color. Some growers are trying to get "black" orchids, which often turn out very deep red, brown, or purple. There are of course, dyed phals in stores. I bought one once just because I loved the big flower. When it came back, it was a huge white phal. I think they also dye pink phals to make the purple. Either way, when it grows back it will be a great phal.

[Orchid Whisperer]

No, that is a natural color. I have one with the exact same color combination, though I am sure mine is a different hybrid, due to a difference in flower shape, and the size. Your petals and sepals are pointier than mine, and mine is a standard size.

Mine is Phal. Elegant Deborah (a synonym of Doritaenopsis Taida Pearl).

[lund0682]

Neat! I had just assumed these dark colors meant "dyed". I'm glad to learn that it's the real deal.

[PaphMadMan]

Chiada Stacey and Elegant Deborah both have Golden Peoker in their ancestry, and that's where a lot of dark saturated Phals like this come from - harlequin types that are bred to be splotchier and splotchier until they are all splotch. There are dyed purples too but they tend to be more pastel and somewhat streaky like the dyed blue ones. I saw some today at Target and almost 'accidentally' knocked over the whole display.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Although I don't personally care for them, I really have no concern over dyed Phals. Nor do I have a quarrel with those that buy and sell them. These plants are horticultural products, and no harm comes from dying them - different tastes for different people.