An orchid spike is the specialized stem structure that emerges from the plant to eventually bear flowers. For new orchid owners, identifying this structure in its earliest stages can be challenging. Learning the specific visual cues is the first step toward understanding your orchid’s reblooming cycle. Correct identification ensures you provide the appropriate care until it produces beautiful blooms.
Identifying the Initial Appearance
A new orchid spike, particularly on the common Phalaenopsis (moth orchid), first appears as a small, rounded nubbin emerging from the plant’s central stem, or crown. It typically grows from a side node just beneath a lower leaf. This initial shoot is often a uniform color, ranging from bright green to a reddish-green tint, depending on the orchid’s pigmentation.
The most distinctive characteristic of an emerging spike is the shape of its tip. The spike tip is blunt, often described as flattened, rounded, or resembling a tiny mitten. This bluntness distinguishes it from the sharp, pointed appearance of a growing root tip.
Telling Spikes Apart From Roots and Keikis
Distinguishing a flower spike from an aerial root or a keiki is a common point of confusion. An aerial root’s growing tip is fundamentally different from a spike, presenting as a sharp, pointed cone that is usually bright green or sometimes reddish-purple. This root tip is also glossy, a texture distinct from the duller surface of a flower spike.
The main body of an orchid root is covered by a spongy, silvery-white layer called the velamen, which absorbs water and nutrients. A flower spike lacks this velamen layer, maintaining a uniform green or reddish color along its entire length. Roots often grow erratically or downward, while a developing flower spike will almost always turn to grow upwards and distinctly toward the brightest source of light.
Keikis, which are miniature clones of the mother plant, are also visually distinct. A keiki emerges from the plant’s base or a node on an existing spike and immediately begins to form miniature leaf structures. Instead of a stem-like structure with a blunt tip, a keiki shows a central fold and the beginning of a small, leaf-like fan. The presence of tiny, developing leaves confirms the new growth is a baby plant, not a flower stem.
Progression and Maturation of the Flower Stem
Once identified, the flower spike begins a process of growth and maturation that can take several months. The spike lengthens, growing upward and arching gracefully as it seeks the light source. This phototropic response is why orchids are rotated to encourage a balanced curve.
As the stem grows, small, scale-like structures known as bracts appear at intervals along its length. These bracts cover the nodes, which are points where side branches, or secondary spikes, can emerge to increase the total number of blooms. The nodes are also the locations where the flower buds begin to form and swell.
Bud formation starts as tiny nubs at the spike’s tip and along the nodes, gradually enlarging and separating. The buds develop their final color pigmentation just before opening, providing the first hint of the flower color. When the spike is a few inches long, it should be loosely secured to a support stake to prevent damage, guiding its growth until the first flowers open. The complete journey from a tiny nubbin to a fully flowered display spans between two to four months.