Since the thread is revived, here's an update regarding my phal! The base, with the rotted (but very dry) top, started to grow a new leaf within a few weeks or a month of me removing the spike. Then, before the new leaf was full size, it started growing a second new leaf! It has been re-growing healthy roots all along, so I think that helped as well. It grows in a mixture of bark and sphag and seems to be doing better than when it was in tightly-packed 100% sphag. It's Brother Sara Gold 'Peach' The top, which does have a dry spot from rot, has been in sphag and bag for a while, much longer than the thread you revived. Almost a year! It started out w/two full size leaves that grew a tiny leaf and root start. I took it out of the bag to look at it and I guess that stalled everything. Eventually one of the large leaves came off one day when I was adding water to the set-up (it still looked healthy but didn't have any stem). Shortly after, the tiny leaf start on the single remaining leaf began to grow again and I only *hope* the root is finally growing as well--I won't make the mistake of checking it and stalling the process a second time. Hope this helps you make a decision; I think cutting off the spike will help your plant fight the rot and recover. Melanie

I think it may either be katsura or pawlownia. While your mom's tree may be too young to flower, katsura has white flowers in the sping, pawlownia gets lavender flowers in spring, a few weeks before katsura flowers.

thanks all. i'll decide this weekend. the plant just grew a huge new beautiful leaf, so, it's clearly doing well. i'm not so sure it is going to rebloom from the same stem if I leave it completely alone and don't cut it at all. So, my choice is really to cut it to a node or cut the whole thing down to the crown. Hmmm.... arthurm: i've see your pic before and read many posts about whether or not to cut the spike. I posted my thread because I still couldn't decide what to do.

Hmm, so I guess it was down to Baccharis neglecta, salicifolia, salicina, or halimifolia. But, the leaves of Baccharis salicina look too wide. Baccharis pilularis (top), salicina (middle), salicifolia (bottom) So, this led most likely to Baccharis salicifolia. Just refreshing this debate because I found another similar specimen today with very narrow leaves (almost like Rosemary):