Phal McCartney
I don’t remember exactly when Phal McCartney joined the group. It was sometime around the middle of 2025, and I’m fairly sure I rescued him from a Publix. Apparently my record-keeping system at the time was mostly, “I’ll definitely remember this later.”
By the time I started properly tracking him in January 2026, Phal was already doing pretty well. His leaves were firm, his crown looked healthy, and he had an impressive collection of aerial roots wandering in every direction. The old, compacted moss in his pot was the main concern, but Phal himself seemed unconcerned. He had clearly decided that roots were decorative and should be displayed outside the pot whenever possible.
Then he put on a show.
Beginning in February, Phal produced a huge cluster of purple-and-white patterned flowers and kept it going well into April. This was not a modest little recovery bloom. It was a full comeback tour, complete with more flowers than seemed reasonable for an orchid his size.
Then, in the middle of that run, life became considerably less orchid-friendly.
When I made my hasty exit from Florida, there wasn’t time for a graceful transition. I cut off the flowers, packed the orchids into plastic tubs, loaded the tubs into a U-Box, and shipped the whole group to Texas. They stayed packed away for about a month while I found somewhere to live and got settled enough to unpack them.
Some handled the trip well. Some did not make it.
Phal McCartney handled it remarkably well.
The difference between the photos from April 12 and June 21 is dramatic. In April, he was covered in flowers. By June, the flowers were gone and the plant looked a little droopy after a month in a dark plastic tub crossing the country. It wasn’t his most glamorous era, but he was alive, intact, and already starting a new leaf. Considering what he had just been through, that felt like a major victory.
Once he was unpacked and back in regular care, Phal quietly went back to work. Through the summer he concentrated on that new leaf, which steadily broadened, flattened, and matured. His roots remained healthy, the older leaves stayed firm, and the aging potting mix continued to look worse than the plant living in it.
Phal McCartney may have started as a vaguely documented grocery-store rescue, but he has become one of my most dependable orchids. He bloomed spectacularly, survived being packed into a box and shipped halfway across the country, and resumed growing as though the whole thing had merely been an inconvenient tour delay.
He still sends roots over the side of the pot whenever he feels like it, of course. Some artistic decisions are apparently non-negotiable.
Observations and updates
Newest first. Observations on the same date retain their original order.
2026-08-30 — Weekly Update
Photos
Observations
REQUIRED: She continues to look excellent three weeks after the repot—leaves are firm and dark green, the crown looks healthy, and the exposed roots remain plump and stable. The repot appears to have gone very smoothly.
Care
watered
2026-08-23 — Weekly Update
Photos
Observations
She continues to look good after the 8/9 repot—leaves are firm and healthy, and the exposed roots look stable with no obvious signs of repot stress.
Care
Watered.
2026-08-18 — Weekly Update
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney is doing well after her 8/9 repot, with firm healthy leaves and no signs of transplant stress. Her active root growth and fresh airy mix have her well positioned for the next growth cycle.
Care
Watered
2026-08-09 — Weekly Update
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney was repotted after the old medium was removed and the root system was inspected and cleaned. He is now settled into fresh, open media with many healthy roots retained.
Care
Repotted and fertilized.
2026-08-02 — Weekly Update
Photos
Observations
Phal continues his steady vegetative growth. New leaf expanded a little.
Care
Watered
2026-07-26 — Fully Settled in Texas
Photos
Observations
By late July, Phal McCartney looked settled in Texas and fully back to business. The new leaf had broadened, flattened, and matured while the older leaves and roots remained healthy.
2026-07-19 — Leaf Maturing
Photos
Observations
The new center leaf continued to mature, and the plant looked increasingly settled after the move.
2026-07-12 — Back to Business
Photos
Observations
The new leaf was visibly larger and flatter. The older leaves remained firm, and the aerial roots remained healthy.
2026-07-05 — New Leaf Broadens
Photos
Observations
The new center leaf continued to broaden as Phal McCartney settled into regular care in Texas.
2026-06-28 — Recovery Underway
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney was perking back up after the move, while the new center leaf continued to grow and flatten.
2026-06-21 — First Photo After the Move
Photos
Observations
This was Phal McCartney’s first photo after the move to Texas. He looked a little worn from the trip, but a small new leaf was already emerging from the center—a very good sign that he had made it through and was ready to keep growing.
2026-04-12 — Final Documented Week in Bloom
Photos
Observations
The purple-and-white flowers were still on display in the final documented week before the move from Florida.
2026-04-05 — Sustained Full Bloom
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney continued holding the full display several weeks into the bloom run.
2026-03-29 — Full Bloom Continues
Photos
Observations
The dense display of purple-and-white flowers continued into another week.
2026-03-22 — Full Bloom
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney was in full bloom, holding a dense display of purple-and-white flowers. This was the peak of the tour.
2026-03-07 — Nearly Full Bloom
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney was nearly in full bloom, while the oldest bottom leaf had turned completely yellow and was getting ready to bow out.
2026-02-28 — Flowers Opening
Photos
Observations
A few flowers were now fully open, while the oldest bottom leaf had begun to yellow. Phal McCartney was putting his energy into the bloom show and retiring one leaf along the way.
2026-02-22 — First Preview
Photos
Observations
One bud was just beginning to open into a flower, offering the first real preview of what Phal McCartney had been working toward.
2026-02-19 — First Buds Opening
Photos
Observations
The first buds were beginning to open. The comeback tour had officially started.
2026-02-11 — Spikes Lined With Buds
Photos
Observations
The two flower spikes were now lined with buds, and Phal McCartney was clearly preparing for a very crowded stage.
2026-01-10 — Spikes and Aerial Roots Growing
Photos
Observations
Both flower spikes continued to extend, while the aerial roots were still actively growing. Phal McCartney was clearly working on the show above the pot and below it at the same time.
2026-01-05 — Two Flower Spikes
Photos
Observations
Phal McCartney was already thriving when I started documenting him, with two flower spikes growing and the promise of a very impressive spring show.