Monkey face orchid.

De un vistazo

Nivel de cuidados

Difícil

Tipo de planta

Epiphytic orchid

Luz

Filtered shade

Luz en interior

Luz indirecta brillante

Riego

Cada 3 a 7 días

Tamaño adulto

12 to 18 inches

Ritmo de crecimiento

Lento

Rusticidad

USDA 10 a 12

Floración

Year round

Cuidados

Keep this plant in a cool spot with very high humidity and constant air movement to prevent rot. Watch for yellowing leaves or shriveled pseudobulbs, which signal that the plant is stressed by heat or dry air. Always use distilled or rain water to avoid mineral buildup.

Riego

Keep the potting medium consistently moist but never soggy.

Abonado

Use a weak, balanced orchid fertilizer during the active growing season.

Poda

Remove spent flower spikes or dead leaves with sterile shears.

Trasplante

Repot only when the medium breaks down or the plant outgrows its basket.

Suelo

Sphagnum moss or bark mix

pH del suelo

5.5 to 6.5

Temperatura

10 a 22°C

Humedad

70 a 90%

Tolerancia a la sequía

Baja

Longevidad

Perennial, typically 5 to 10 years

Fragancia

Suave

Resistencia a ciervos y conejos

Moderada

Seguridad

Personas

There are no reports of toxicity, but it is not intended for human consumption.

Niños

The plant is not toxic, but the delicate structure can be damaged by curious children.

Comestibilidad

This plant is not edible and should not be consumed.

Cómo identificarla

• Flowers resemble monkey faces
• Long, tail like sepal tips
• Deeply textured, hairy petals
• Bright green, lance shaped leaves

Altura

0,2 a 0,4m

Anchura

0,15 a 0,3m

Hojas

green, evergreen

Flores

brown, orange, yellow, 5 a 15cm

Problemas frecuentes

• Root rot — Caused by overwatering or poor drainage in the potting medium.
• Aphids — Small insects that suck sap from new growth and flower buds.

Cómo cultivarla

Propagación

division

Cuándo plantar

spring, autumn

Cuidados en invierno

Keep the plant in a consistently cool environment with high humidity throughout the winter months.

En maceta

It is best grown in specialized hanging baskets or wooden slat baskets to allow the downward facing flower spikes to emerge.

Group with other moisture loving epiphytes to create a microclimate with high humidity.

Buenas compañeras

• Polypodiopsida — They enjoy similar high humidity and low light conditions.
• Bryophyta — It helps maintain the high humidity levels around the roots.

Especies parecidas

• Dracula vampira — It is a closely related species with similar growth habits and flower structure.

Ciencia

Familia

Orchidaceae

Género

Dracula

Orden

Asparagales

Clase

Liliopsida

Distribución natural

Cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru.

Conservación

It is considered vulnerable in the wild due to habitat loss and illegal collection.

It grows as an epiphyte on trees in high altitude, misty cloud forests.

Valor para la fauna

nectar source

Polinizadores

flies

Usos

ornamental, botanical collection

Taxonomía cotejada con GBIF.

Lo que más preguntan

Is this plant easy to grow?

It is considered challenging because it requires very specific cool temperatures and high humidity.

Can I grow this in a normal house?

It is very difficult to maintain the required cool, humid conditions in a standard home environment.

De dónde viene el nombre

The name Dracula refers to the dragon like spurs on the sepals, while simia means monkey, referencing the face like pattern on the flower.

Bueno saberlo

• The flowers can bloom at any time of the year.
• The genus name Dracula refers to the dragon like appearance of the long sepals.
• It is native to the cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru.
• The scent of the flower mimics a mushroom to attract its specific pollinators.

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