One thing you may not know about me is that I’m totally obsessed about orchids. I absolutely love them. So I’m always on the lookout for unique orchid species and, boy, did I find one that truly stands out.
These orchids look just like a monkey face and they’re tripping me out. Ha, ha, ha! See for yourself.
This unusual looking orchid is called *Dracula simia* or “monkey orchid” and it’s a native species of the tropical highland forests of Southeastern Ecuador and Peru.
Wow, how interesting.
Its name translates to “little dragon monkey” and is definitely fitting because the arrangement of its column, petals, and lip strongly resemble a monkey’s face.
This is so cool!
If you happen to be in Ecuador and want to see this plant in its native environment, be prepared to climb up high as they thrive at 2,000 meters altitude.
That’s definitely a hike!
These plants can bloom at any season and usually have several flowers on the inflorescence that open successively.
Awesome. That is definitely something I would like to see.
Whoa, these orchid plants are so unbelievable, aren’t they?
At first, I thought the pictures were totally photoshopped but once I did some research I found out they do exist!
Here’s another pleasant surprise when it comes to these cool orchids: their flowers are fragrant with the scent of a ripe orange.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get better.
This type of monkey orchid actually has more than 110 different varieties so if you see many different monkey faces just don’t be too shocked.
There’s a lot of variety!
This flower species was first discovered by botanist Carlyle A. Lueren in 1978.
I bet he was just as fascinated by this interesting flower species as we are.
Okay so I get the monkey reference in the name of the flower because of the obvious resemblance but why do they also call it Dracula?
Do you wanna know?
Well, its name, Dracula, comes from the long petals that almost resemble fangs, hence the reference to Dracula the vampire.
I totally dig that.
The best way to care for this plant is to pot it in a plastic mesh basket.
This will increase airflow to the plant’s roots. Don’t let them dry out though.
Make sure you water them frequently as they have no way of storing water.
And of course, like most orchids, they also love humidity. Try for 70-100% humidity.
They also like slightly lower room temperatures so it’s best to keep it below 20 degrees Celsius.
And even cooler at night at about six–eight degrees Celsius.
I’m constantly amazed by the things nature gives us.
Cool little gems like the monkey orchid are what make me smile every day. I want to see more.
