Dehydration from underwatering

What's happening

A moth orchid stores water in its thick leaves, so when the roots can't supply enough, the leaves give up their reserves and go soft, wrinkled, and leathery. Shriveled silvery roots confirm the bark has been dry too long and the plant has been running on its leaf reserves.

How to fix it

Rehydrate gradually. Soak the whole pot in a basin of room-temperature water for 10–15 minutes, then drain fully so no water sits in the crown or saucer. The roots should plump up and green within a day or two, and the leaves will slowly firm up over a week or two — they recover more slowly than they wilted. Then settle into watering whenever the roots turn silvery, usually every 7–10 days.

This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.