Help With Growths On This Phal

[akhenenra]

I have a Doritaenopsis/Phalaenopsis plant that is showing growths I've never seen before. First, the plant is probably not what my tag says, I took a guess and also needed a way to identify it, so probably ignore the tag. It has the following growths (see photos).

-A large leafy looking protrusion on the bottom (I guess this is a keiki? I'ver never gotten one before)

-A weird bulb shaped protrusion alongside the probably-keiki

-A growth (maybe a spike?) along the lowest node from the previous spike

-Perhaps yet another spike at the top node on the previous spike

The larger leaves protruding from the previous spike were there when I got the plant, when it was in bloom. I didn't think much of it at the time but I gather from research that such a large leaf on the spike is unusual.

Anyway the plant seems healthy so I guess there's no problem here, I am just curious bc I've never seen an orchid grow this way. Thanks!

[Louis_W]

Looks to me like the plant got pretty juiced up with hormones and stuff before you got it. Here's my take on what's going on:

The plant has a terminal inflorescence which means that the flower stalk is growing out of where the leaves are supposed to grow (thats why the leaf on the spike is so big). This happens sometimes but it means the plant had dead ended its growth and needs to make a new growth point. In your case it looks like it is growing two (I suspect the 'bulb' will.end up being a new growth). You should leave these attached and the plant will start growing two new sets of leaves. This naturally happens to big healthy phals anyways so it's just how they get bigger.

Your plants old spike seems to be growing two new spikes which may grow and bloom if the plant can handle it. I would just let everything happen. I think your plant will be just fine with a little good care.

[Dimples]

Looks like it has a terminal spike. Terminal as in no more growth will occur from the original growth point, not as in the plant is a goner. The basal growth is the new lead and isn’t a true keiki, it is part of the original plant, not it’s own plantlet. Keep it happy and it’ll bloom again for you. Who knows, maybe it’ll send out more basal growths/side shoots and you’ll have a multi-headed plant.

[akhenenra]

wow weird haha. Thanks for the help. As long as it's healthy I'm happy

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by akhenenra

wow weird haha. Thanks for the help. As long as it's healthy I'm happy

While Phals predominantly grow from the crown ("monopodial") as compared with those that grow along a rhizome ("sympodial") such as Catts, Oncidiums Cymbidiums and the majority of other orchids) you have to figure that there's a limit... you don't often see a 10 foot (3 meter) Phalaenopsis plant! They get to a certain point, then start putting out those basal growths to form a clump of new plants off the existing root system. (Which is why you don't want to jump to dividing, they do share the original root system, just start a new set of leaves)