Dendrobium Polar Fire - In bloom on dried up plant

[RosieC]

Well I thought my Den Polar Fire was dead back at the end of the last year. Along with my other two Den phals I had found it with mostly rotted roots when re-potting in September/November. By December two of them (including this one) had lost all their leaves (they are not meant to be deciduous dens) and the other had lost most leaves.

I had put them in S/H on finding the dead roots (well if there are no roots to die back in S/H I didn't have much to loose). I thought they were dead and just hung on to them in the vain hope they might do something. Well the one that had hung on to it's leaves started to show signs of new growth in march, one of them is still doing nothing and is likely dead, but this one did something strange...

First it seemed to be producing two keikis high on an old cane, but one of those keikis turned into a spike... a spike with roots and a slight swelling in the base. I have seen keikis start like this on Den kingianum, which if left then develop further canes and leaves. I wonder if this will do the same

Anyway, since then it's developed three growths down near the base as well and new roots are developing on those, so hopefully it's going to survive

Not very good pic, but the whole (dead looking plant).


The base of the spike... is it a keiki or a spike Just below it is a keiki, but the spike started out looking like a keiki and has tried to grow roots.


Finally one of the three new growths at the base, this is what gives me a hope I can save this one

[WhiteRabbit]

Very cool - Dens are quite something, aren't they. I too have had the 'speikis' on kingianum, looks like that's what's happening to this. The last pic looks like a keiki growing from near the base, but actually on a cane rather than the rhizome? Perhaps I am wrong, but have had that occur on a couple of dens - I think it's new growth from rhizome, but later on realize it's actually growing off another cane. Either way, it's signs of life. Nice blooms - hope your plant is ok - at least you have some keikis if not.

[RosieC]

I like the name 'speikis' I'll have to remember that one. If I hadn't seen lots of these on the kingianum I would have been really confused, not seen it on a Den phal before but there were sort of short leaves on it originally which dried up as the spike grew.

Yeah, you could be right about all the new growths from the base coming from canes when I look closely. Even if that's the case I'm going to leave them on the mother as they are the only signs of life in the thing.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by RosieC

I like the name 'speikis' I'll have to remember that one. If I hadn't seen lots of these on the kingianum I would have been really confused, not seen it on a Den phal before but there were sort of short leaves on it originally which dried up as the spike grew.

Yeah, you could be right about all the new growths from the base coming from canes when I look closely. Even if that's the case I'm going to leave them on the mother as they are the only signs of life in the thing.

I can't claim credit for the term 'speikis' - I saw someone here use that, but can't remember who it was. I had read a thread, someone had a spike with roots, wondering what the heck that was - otherwise, I am sure I would have posted when I first saw it happening on my kingi - wondering about it. I haven't seen it on a Den-phal tho either.
I'm learning to not be surprised by anything a Den does - they sure are crazy sometimes.

Yeah, it's hard to tell at this point, that small new growth near the base - I usually figure it out when it turns out to be smaller, or when I repot Either way, it's something, which is better than nothing! Let us know how it goes, please!

[lostonthebeach]

That den has a will to live.

[SydneyH]

Good save! I'm convinced that you have to work pretty hard to kill a dendrobium. I thought for sure I had finally killed my dendrobium that I've had for many years. It pulled through this spring though and has lots of new canes coming up.

Sydney

[camille1585]

Looks like it's on the road to recovery!!! I had a Den that got to be in similar shape, and also made a bunch of keikis from the base of the canes (as well as everywhere else!) once I dumped it in S/H. It's looking better and better.
Love the blooms, though they look odd on a mostly dead plant! I see Polar Fire for sale once in a while, and I always think of yours!

[RosieC]

Thanks everyone, so glad this has a will to live as it was my first Den and one of my first orchids. Still love it