Weirdest phal leaf ever - Orchid Board

Maru777 · #1 06-29-2021, 09:09 PM

Hello,

I wanted to share some pictures of the weirdest leaf I’ve ever seen on a phal. This was a phal a friend of mine received in bloom and gave to me after the blooms died off since she would have otherwise thrown it and knows I like them. The plant was doing ok, and it’s since grown more roots and now is putting out its second leaf in my care. But this leaf is really weird. It looks like there was some sort of damage to the crown I imagine but this leaf started growing on the side of the previous leaf ?!? Anyway it has grown its tip through the previous leaf and is now half on one side and half on the other side of that leaf. Very weird. Seems nice and healthy otherwise and I wonder where the newest one after this one will grow from. I thought I’s share since it’s really weird

SouthPark · #2 06-29-2021, 10:10 PM

Did the leaf change direction due to a change in the pot position/orientation?

Maru777 · #3 06-29-2021, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Did the leaf change direction due to a change in the pot position/orientation?

Nope, no change in the placing of the pot really, it just seemed to have started it a weird place - kind of sideways. I initially thought it would be on the right side but the more it grew the more it was left on the wrong side of the previous leaf

Arizona Jeanie · #4 06-30-2021, 05:33 PM

That is so wrong! Thanks for sharing the picture.
Do you think it could be sort of a basal keiki starting?

Shadeflower · #5 07-01-2021, 01:36 PM

I will add my entry for a strange phal leaf.
I think I know what caused it, luckily no major setback I don't think but it looks a bit different to my other phals lol

Leafmite · #6 07-01-2021, 03:38 PM

I have grown plants for a very long time and one thing I have learned about them is that, sometimes, they will do weird things...with no good explanation. These are the strange things that happen once with that plant and never again.
Sometimes, too, it can be genetic and, for a time, the genetics were suppressed but then, for some reason, the gene gets switched on. If all the leaves begin to grow weird...that is likely what has happened.