Phalaenopsis has magenta roots/what is it?

[shighsmith]

Wow: if this orchid had personal congress with a beet(or beets - I really don't know, I've only had custodial responsibility for a couple of months), what do you think their offspring might look like? Floral salad???? I love beets!

[andrew__]

How long have you had the plant? Are the purple roots mostly older or younger?

My guess is that the plant has been treated with something, some form of fungicide or fertilizer or some other chemical shortly before you bought it which dyed any roots which were on the plant at that point (+/- depending on whether the medium retained any dye, or if the colour built up over several applications etc) and that the new roots that have grown in are green and normal since the plant is no longer getting whatever it was that was making the roots purple.

I remember reading something somewhere about roots being dyed for some reason. I forget where I read it or why they were doing it but this reminded me of that.

Just my guess.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

I've had some plants that have shown this symptom in the past. Never been as severe as the ones you have.

I'm thinking it may be a reaction to the chemicals in the water as well...not sure. Or it could be some sort of microbe.

I say this because there was a period of time in the distant past, early in me picking up the hobby where I used tap water.

This is speculation.

All I know for certain is that this condition does go away.

Try using RO water and see if things change.

[Royal]

There has been some work with genetic modification in Phals. :

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

This problem is not just in Phals (this problem has never shown up in Phals for me). I've had it show up in Cymbidium hybrids and even the species Isochilus linearis (it was there before I bought it).

[camille1585]

It might not even be a problem. If you consider Neofinetia falcata for example, it's perfectly normal for some varieties to have pink or ruby roots.

[Royal]

If it is intentional than it is a success. I saw some photos of the plants and the roots looked similar. Actually, the whole plant was beet red. I think it was Dr. Robert Quene doing the research. I think he's a contributor in this month's AOS magazine.