phal pulcherreima

[Virgil]

Received this plant from a friend and divided a small piece and when pulling old roots seen this new growth starting, Is this the right color for leaves or are they getting to much sun It looks like this plant has never bloomed, when does it bloom and any suggestions to shake it up.

[cb977]

Definitely not the color the leaves should be

Move this guy into lower light and keep your

[camille1585]

Definitely too much light. I have one of these and it's leaves are a nice light green. It gets dappled sunlight at the most.

[Lagoon]

Pulcherrimas' will have different leaf colors depending on the flower color itself.
Yours is a dark color bloomer. Its okay for the leaves to have a nice in color red, but not the orangie color in the photo. It's getting to much light and getting burned out.

Pulcherrimas can spike from early spring thur early fall.

[jkofferdahl]

Gotta agree with Sue and Camille - too much light. These plants often will grow a basal keiki, as you see, and that's how you've got so many plantlets. The leaf span will probably be at least six to seven inches before it blooms.

[mehitabel]

I'm not sure the color on these plants is the result of too much light. When I have had leaves this color on a phal, it's usually been dying, not overlit.

I hope that's not true of yours, but it's definitely not healthy, IMO. On a healthy pulcherrima, the dark magenta one have dark olive green leaves with red undertones. White ones have clear green leaves.

I also think the plant(s) are overpotted, both the ones in the green pot and the ones in the smaller orange pot. I know you needed a wide pot to accomodate all the keiki growths. However, you need a bulb pan for this (wide and *shallow*). Your pots are too deep for small, two-leaf plants.

Otherwise there's too much empty medium at the bottom of the pot to stay too wet and rot the roots.

Most phals need more than two leaves to support a spike. Pulcherrima is a summer bloomer. Get it to grow as well as you can from now til July or August,and you might get a spike.

[Brooke]

Lagoon/Gloria is correct on the leaf color. I have a pulcherrima the same color as Virgil and it is typical for it. It has a reddish, almost brownish color to it with basically no green.

I received it from Hauserman's three years ago with this color and it has never changed. It is the darker blooming pulcherrima and is a very good grower/keikei maker. It needs slightly higher light than the typical phal and slightly more moisture. Please note the slightly part - pulcherrimas are terrestrials. It will bloom in the summer.

Brooke

[Virgil]

Thanks for all the input, It seems Brooke has hit it, Mine is pulcherreima " Firecracker" which makes me think it will be a dark color. Would love to see photo if someone has one.

[phearamedusa]

I had one of those when I lived in an apartment. Leaves were dark in color and the flowers were dark magenta color, if I remember rightly(over 9 yrs since I had this). I don't think I have any photos of it in flower. I'd have to check my 35mm photos. I know it did very well for me under lights, and a fairly intermediate temp. It unfortunately didn't take well to the move for the apartment to the house where the temp. fluctuated more. It is no longer with me, but I do have Dor. Pulcherrima Richella x self doing ok in my kitchen window. The kitchen has east, and south facing windows, so it gets sunny in the morning, and is one of the brightest rooms in my house.

[Gin]

Here is my Firecracker not in bloom right now, it blooms later on in the season , hope this helps ..Gin