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.

Plant guide

Monkey face orchid.

Dracula simia

Pronounced DRAK-yoo-luh SIM-ee-uh

Also known as Monkey-Face Orchid

Dracula (genus) — Photo by Nolan Exe (CC BY) via iNaturalist

This fascinating orchid is famous for its blooms that look just like a monkey face. It hails from the cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru where it loves cool, humid conditions. You will find it is a bit of a challenge to grow in a typical home environment.

At a glance

Care level: Difficult
Plant type: Epiphytic orchid
Light: Filtered shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches
Growth rate: Slow
Hardiness: USDA 10 to 12
Bloom time: Year round

Care

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.

Watering: Keep the potting medium consistently moist but never soggy.
Feeding: Use a weak, balanced orchid fertilizer during the active growing season.
Pruning: Remove spent flower spikes or dead leaves with sterile shears.
Repotting: Repot only when the medium breaks down or the plant outgrows its basket.
Soil: Sphagnum moss or bark mix
Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5
Temperature: 10 to 22°C
Humidity: 70 to 90%
Drought tolerance: Low
Lifespan: Perennial, typically 5 to 10 years
Fragrance: Light
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Signs it needs repotting

The potting medium has broken down.
The plant has outgrown its basket.
New growth is pushing over the edge.

Safety

People: There are no reports of toxicity, but it is not intended for human consumption.
Children: The plant is not toxic, but the delicate structure can be damaged by curious children.
Edibility: This plant is not edible and should not be consumed.

How to identify it

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

Height: 0.2 to 0.4m
Spread: 0.15 to 0.3m
Leaves: green, evergreen
Flowers: brown, orange, yellow, 5 to 15cm

Common problems

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

Growing it

Propagation: division
When to plant: spring, autumn
Overwintering: Keep the plant in a consistently cool environment with high humidity throughout the winter months.
In containers: It is best grown in specialized hanging baskets or wooden slat baskets to allow the downward facing flower spikes to emerge.

Division

Wait until the plant has grown into a large clump.
Gently remove the plant from its basket.
Carefully tease the roots apart to separate the plant into smaller sections.
Repot each section into a fresh, well draining orchid mix.

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

Grows well with

Ferns — They enjoy similar high humidity and low light conditions.
Moss — It helps maintain the high humidity levels around the roots.

Similar species

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

Science

Family: Orchidaceae
Genus: Dracula
Order: Asparagales
Class: Liliopsida
Native range: Cloud forests of Ecuador and Peru.
Conservation: 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.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: flies
Uses: ornamental, botanical collection

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 1/9
Soil reaction: 5/9
Light: 2/9
Temperature: 2/9
Moisture: 8/9
Nutrients: 2/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

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.

Where the name comes from

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

Good to know

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.

Also in

Plants for shade

Is your monkey face orchid looking unwell?

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This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.