Monkey face orchid.

En un coup d'œil

Niveau d'entretien

Difficile

Type de plante

Epiphytic orchid

Lumière

Filtered shade

Lumière en intérieur

Lumière vive indirecte

Arrosage

Tous les 3 à 7 jours

Taille adulte

12 to 18 inches

Croissance

Lente

Rusticité

USDA 10 à 12

Floraison

Year round

Entretien

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.

Arrosage

Keep the potting medium consistently moist but never soggy.

Engrais

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

Taille

Remove spent flower spikes or dead leaves with sterile shears.

Rempotage

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

Sol

Sphagnum moss or bark mix

pH du sol

5.5 to 6.5

Température

10 à 22°C

Humidité

70 à 90%

Résistance à la sécheresse

Faible

Durée de vie

Perennial, typically 5 to 10 years

Parfum

Léger

Résistance aux chevreuils et lapins

Moyenne

Sécurité

Humains

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

Enfants

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

Comestibilité

This plant is not edible and should not be consumed.

Comment l'identifier

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

Hauteur

0,2 à 0,4m

Envergure

0,15 à 0,3m

Feuilles

green, evergreen

Fleurs

brown, orange, yellow, 5 à 15cm

Problèmes courants

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

La cultiver

Multiplication

division

Quand planter

spring, autumn

Hivernage

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

En pot

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.

Bonnes associations

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

Espèces similaires

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

Science

Famille

Orchidaceae

Genre

Dracula

Ordre

Asparagales

Classe

Liliopsida

Région d'origine

Cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru.

Préservation

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.

Intérêt pour la faune

nectar source

Pollinisateurs

flies

Utilisations

ornamental, botanical collection

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

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.

D'où vient le nom

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

Bon à savoir

• 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.

Aussi dans

• Plantes d'ombre