How Do Orchids Seem When They First Sprout?

Orchid sprouts are small plantlets growing on the orchid’s flower spike, also known as a “keiki” or baby or little one. They can be removed and potted as an individual plant when it has leaves and several inches of roots. Spikes have sharp, “mitten-shaped” tips, while root tips are blunt. Spikes maintain a green color throughout their entire length, while roots are silvery-gray with a green tip.

Orchids prefer smaller pots over more space around the roots. In Phalaenopsis orchids, both roots and spikes begin as tiny green shoots, making it difficult to distinguish between them. A new orchid flower spike will look like a little “mitten” and be pointed upward, while a new orchid root does not have a “mitten” but rather has a rounded tip. Root buds typically grow downwards or straight out.

Brassavola orchids are long and tubular, can grow up to one foot long, and sometimes can be unrolled and flat. The leaves of these orchids are small and small, with small pseudobulbs. To identify new growth, look for an east- or south-facing window in your home and place your orchid in it.

Thin orchid roots are spidery and delicate, while thick-rooted orchids look more like young. Orchid flower spikes are usually greener than roots and have a flatter, mitten-shaped tip. While growing, spikes remain green along their full length.

After the new leaves have fully developed, the plant begins to produce flowers, which are typically white or pale pink. Some flower spikes branch after the first flowers are gone, producing more flowers. Wild orchids stand out with their color and shape, with a short reddish growth on the left of the base of the plant being a root and a flower spike on the right.