Completely different color

[psyc1210]

Ok, I am brand new to this board. I own a few phalaenopsis orchids, have had them for about a year.

I have had each one bloom successfully, and now one that is a newer orchid, purchased from Lowe's by my mother as a present..she bought it in bloom, which the blooms were white background with purple spots all over. I was very excited to see that I had a new spike a while ago, and the first bloom finally opened on that new spike. However the flower is not white or purple at all. It is a yellow color, with extremely faint, extremely small purple spots on the bottom two petals. Very confused as to why this would happen. It's not even similar to the previous flowers at all. The other two buds on this spike are still not open as of this point in time.

I will post my pictures of what the flower looked like previously, and what it looks like this time as soon as I upload them.

Does this kind of thing happen often, or anyone know what could cause it?

[psyc1210]

Ok, here are a few pictures....

First picture is of the plant when I first received it.

Second is of the new flower that just bloomed

Third and fourth, the plant itself.


I cannot tell if there is another plant in there. It doesn't appear that way....but maybe I just don't see it.

The tag on the plant says
P. Wedding Promenade
Color: Pk
08/28/06
L 1.3

[Ross]

This makes totally no sense to me. I really wonder what magic the company used to create this magical change?

[Tindomul]

Wow, hmm.
Can you show us a pic of the whole plant with the purple flowers and the yellow flowers?

[Lagoon]

But these are hybirds ...

[psyc1210]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Wow, hmm.
Can you show us a pic of the whole plant with the purple flowers and the yellow flowers?

I didn't explain myself well enough...
I received this plant in August 2007, and it already had the white/spotted purple blooms on it. Those dropped off about a month or so after I got it.

Then this is a whole new spike, and on this new spike are the yellow flowers.

[Dorothy]

I have no idea why this would happen
but I did find out that Phal. Wedding Promenade = Phal. Cosmetic Art x Phal. equestris

[OrchidTess]

I have to look thru my 100 AOS mags, I think that's where I saw a plant with 2 spikes and 2 totally different colored flowers. I know I've seen it, but where is the question.

[Neverend]

Woah, you sure you didn't swap the plants accidentally? Because they are not only different in colour but also shape and details (look at the lip), the chance of you getting completely different flowers on one plant is equivalent to winning lottery 3 times in a row!

[peterlin]

Both pictures look like mericlone plants to me.
My theory is that two plants were potted together. Imagine that one plant is dying (i.e. crown rot - down to one or no leaf) and the producer potted it with another healthy plant with no flower.
Over time the first plant (flower/spike) died back. That leaves no trace of it - and now the other plant is flowering.