div {
display: flex;
}
div > *, div::orphan-text {
display: block; flex: 1 1 auto; border: 2px red solid; padding: 10px;
}
<div>
<span>flex item 1</span>
orphan text, also a flex item, surrounded by a red border
<span>flex item 2</span>
another orphan text, also surrounded by a red border
</div>
Currently there's no way to change the appearance of "orphan" text nodes that are converted to flex or grid items.
With this addition "orphan" text nodes would become stylable as they were wrapped in an element.
Thank you. Hope that makes sense.