PlantFiles: White Moth Orchid, Moon Orchid
Phalaenopsis amabilis

I purchased one last Mar. with flowers, and the flowers lasted until Sept. Recently, in Jan. there's a new spike growing. It's worth my $15 for the plant (you don't have to spend a lot of money on orchids; local huge retailers where you buy grocery and furniture have them).

My white orchid flowers last longer than my pinkish-purple orchid (3-4 months). Moth orchids, I get new spike(s) within 5 months.

Hi..I need some help with my orchid..I am not sure of the variety..but it has grown a "proliferation" on the old flower stem..
I am not sure how to keep this plant alive..and when should I put in some orchid potting soil..this is my very first orchid..and I am quite the rookie..any help or direction will be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!
Renee
red4husker@yahoo.com

I know that orchid flowers can stay open a long time but I was absolutely amazed at the longevity of the flowers on this species. We purchased it as a pot plant in January 1993, in flower and I was amazed that season at how long the flower lasted. As I remember it was over two months. It put up a fresh flower spike in December of the same year, but we went away for a time and it got too dry and the flower spike died. We managed to save the plant and it then put up another flower spike somewhat out of season, and it opened its solitary flower on 12th April 1994 (mid-autumn). After its long flowering the previous time, I made a point of noting the date that it opened. Well this flower then outlasted any other flower I have ever known by a mile. I took another picture just when I detected the first sign that it was dying, on 22nd October 1994, over 6 months after it opened. The flower was open for a total of 193 days right through our winter (it was indoors of course).