When you look around, you’ll notice that there are many amazing things to think about and enjoy. People often look at animals or landscapes, but don’t forget about the plants right in front of you. Among these are orchids. Did you know that there are more than 30,000 different kinds of orchids? Some of them may not be too hard to figure out, but a few are truly unique. This includes the Monkey Orchid, one of the most unusual flowers we have ever seen. It has a unique name, and it also lives up to that name.
The Dracula Simia also called the “Monkey Orchid,” grows in the forests of Peru and southeastern Ecuador. You might have to walk back because they live deep in the forest, about 2000 feet above sea level in the clouds. The low petals on the stems make up the faces of the flowers. A botanist named Carlyle A. Lueren gave the flower its name in 1978. He talked about how their petals look like simians and smell like fresh oranges, which is a surprise. This orchid can bloom at any time of year, and sometimes more than one flower will open simultaneously. There are 118 different kinds of this flower. All of them are in Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with about half of them in Ecuador. You could try to grow the flower at home, but it’s not that easy. You have to be very clear about the conditions in the environment. They like it to be as humid as possible (up to 100 percent), cold, and dark. The plants get about 2 feet tall, and if you want to grow them at home, you should plant them in sphagnum moss. Since they are hard to grow for someone who has never done it before, you might want to try growing other kinds of orchids first.
