Terminal Spike on new Orchid? Weird leaf thing growing on orchid spike?
 

Hi again :).

I bought an orchid a few days ago and was happy with it until I read about terminal spikes on orchids. My orchid is in bloom but there are flower spikes coming out under the first and second leaves as well as in the middle of the crown. The weird thing is that the new leaf growing seems to be attached to the spike instead of the crown. Also, there is a small weird leaf looking thing growing on the upper part of the flower spike(its in the pictures). It doesn't look like a keiki. Is it a new leaf or something??? Growing on the top of a flower stem???

Aside from that everything is healthy including the root system. I'm no expert but this orchid does not seem old. The leaves on the bottom are very small and they gradually get bigger(I'm guessing the small leaves are from the time it use to be a keiki) and since it still has the small leaves attached, Its a pretty young orchid right? Is it a terminal spike? Will my orchid be able to grow new leaves or should I return it? Please tell me its not a terminal spike!!! I really love this orchid and want to keep it.

Thank you for your help and sorry for sideways pics. I took them on my phone.:)

sure looks like it from what I can tell....but if you care for it, it could bloom for years still! I had one that branched and bloomed for the longest time off of that terminal spike!....just don't let it drown in that cache pot

The term "terminal spike" isn't as bad as it sounds. If the spike is coming out of the crown (the growth point) the plant will likely not grow any more in that direction. However, it is very likely to put out a new growth or two at the base of the plant. In time that growth will also get big enough to bloom (and there may be more than one, which is even better) So the plant is definitely NOT "terminal".

Very nice plant! I got a Phal with a terminal spike a few months ago. It’s still in bloom and just started pushing two new side growths. I’m hoping that as these growths mature it’ll be a really nice plant with multiple crowns. Your plant isn’t going to die, it’s just going to start pushing new growth from the sides rather than the center.