Can You Help Me?

[amynsamsmum]

I am a volunteer in a nursing home and here is the situation with one of the residents there:

She recieved an artificial potted orchid from a friend and she has it on her little table. Well...the artificial plant has shoots sprouting from the base of it. The shoots do look like those of an orchid. She is just letting it grow and is careful not to handle the shoots too much. She is very unsure of how to water it.

Any comments or suggestions for us? We are quite baffled by this

Thanks in advance for any help

[mayres]

Can you please update your profile to include where you live? This will potentially help in advice that is given in the future.
Can you please explain what you mean by "artificial"?
To me artificial means something that is a mimic of the real thing but which is NOT alive.
Can you post a picture of the plant you are referring to that shows the shoots?

[amynsamsmum]

Hi!

Yes, it is not a live plant...but there are shoots growing from the bottom. No, I don't have a picture as she just showed me this curiosity on Friday. I will ask her if I can take a picture of it tomorrow (I see her Wed-Fri weekly)

(sorry about the profile, I had just registered and wanted to get my question out there)

[fred]

welcome to the forum
I hope that you enjoy your stay here with us

I would have to agree with mayres about the use of "artificial"

[amynsamsmum]

artificial means something that is a mimic of the real thing but which is NOT alive.

This is it exactly...not alive, but live shoots are growing from it

[fred]

If the orchid is artificial I can not see how an artificial orchid can produce roots.

[pikevi]

Welcome to the forum amynsamsmum.

The only way it can happen is if an artificial plant was potted with a real plant.

It it is an artificial plant and still grows new growth then it has to be from a 'negative' universe and acccidentally dropped here through a 'wormhole'. LOL ( I don't believe in supernatural events )

I think there is a mistake somewhere

[Ak_Orchid]

Sounds like it's a real plant to me. Could be that the "shoots" are roots growing or a new growth, or maybe even a flower spike.

[amynsamsmum]

Thanks for the welcomes

I'm thinking that something was potted with the artificial plant because it is in real soil...not just that fake mossy stuff that some artificial plants have.
I'm going to bring my camera tomorrow and hopefully she won't mind if I take a picture of it.(She's in her mid-nineties and as spry as anything)

It's a real conundrum, everyone I've mentioned it to looks at me like I'm loopy LOL
Thanks again

[brookn]

I'm betting it's a Phal. They can certainly look "artificial", and the leaves are stiff enough to pass for fake on some hee-hee, I am probably wrong, but I thought I would throw that in. My mom has a fake Phal., and I have to touch it every time I am there cause it looks like a real one. The only part of it that looks fake are the roots, they look like the roots on a Catt. funny. I cannot wait to see how this turns out, am looking forward to the pics.

[Miki]

Has this lady been watering her 'artificial' orchid? I am just wondering what is making this 'fake' plant throw shoots?
This sounds like something from the "X Files".

brookn: I'm with you, it is a phal.

But is the artifical orchid a phal?
I can't wait to see the pics!

[MissConnie]

Im interested to see now!

xxxxx

[Tess1]

I am dying of curiosity!

[Anton]

They're making artificial flowers very "real" these days, aren't they. Maybe it is a Cyborg flower ?

As a famous little girl once said, "It is getting curiouser and curiouser."

[articuno75]

You know, at a facility like that, maybe whoever gave her the plant truely thought it was fake. Looks fake, feels fake, even a rubber plant looks artificial until you take a real close look at it. I think it's a real plant. Have to agree, maybe a Phal. Must see the pics for sure.

[nenella]

Ditto !
I am curiouser & curiouser & curioser too ! & am waiting to see the photo soon.

[Tess1]

nenella, what a gorgeous cymbid on your avatar, could you post a full sized photo of it please?

[brookn]

Tess I think that might be a phal.

[kmarch]

Any pics yet amynsamsmum?