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Jessica

Can anyone tell me what they think is happening here? It looks like new leaves are growing up the flower spike? I rescued these from CVS!

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8 likes 6 comments

6 comments

  1. CorranQ

    Those are baby orchids! Congratulations! You’re a mom! 🤣

    1 like
  2. Jen

    Agreed! It looks like THREE keikis! Leave them be and keep caring for the mother plant until they grow a few of their own roots, long enough to support themselves and then you can remove them and pot on their own. They are genetically the same as the mother, so should bloom the same. You can keep them or give them away to friends.

    3 likes
  3. Amy

    What causes the plant to produce baby plants on the flower stalk

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    • Jen

      There can be multiple ‘reasons’ an orchid will grow them. (Also, to be clear it’s not just on the flower spikes, they can also occur as basel keikis, growing from the base or stem of your plant.) Some hybrids are just prone to it, there are some crosses that have been known to make so many that the mother plant can’t support them all and they sort of deplete plant if you don’t remove them. So sometimes it’s genetic. There are also instances when an orchid is chemically/hormonally triggered to create a keiki to just survive. For example, if the crown of a sympodial orchid is damaged, cannot create new leaves, and will eventually just die out. It can trigger this survival response. You can also instigate a growth on the flower spike in the right time of year, with something called keiki paste. It’s kind of fun, but doesn’t always work. If you try it, I would read the directions and look at some tutorials online.

      7 likes
    • Amy

      Very interesting. Thank you for the insight

      2 likes
  4. Jessica

    Wow!!! That’s what I was hoping you were all going to say, so cool! The CVS discount almost dead orchid just keeps on giving!! Thanks all!

    3 likes