Dracula psittacina
 

Dracula psittacina

Seems to be a good species for less than perfect conditions and I’m glad I tried it. It’s a beautiful plant, the blooms are a decent size, I love the burgundy spots, and, of course, that face. I’ve had this almost a year and a half and it didn’t do much the first 9-10 months I had it except rot off the new growths and get some spots of the leaves. But ever since I repotted it into bark in February it has more than doubled in size, put out a bunch of roots, this is the first of 6 spikes to bloom, and no more rot or spots in sight.

I have this growing in my intermediate terrarium in the coldest room of my house but the temps this year have been brutal. My central AC hasn’t been able to keep up since late April:( The temps in the tank have been about 80°F/20°C days and 66-68°F/19°-20°C nights, sometimes warmer, and I am not looking forward to whatever August and September bring. Winter temps in that room are quite a bit cooler. Humidity sits between 65% to 80%, and like the temps it’s not the best, but this seems to do fine.

So adorable and challenging...my favorite orchids 🐵. You have a few really nice but this one is top notch.

Where do you keep them?

Thank you. I do really like this one and I will admit to squealing and (possibly) jumping up and down when it opened up fully without blasting. However, I think I’m actually more pleased with how it’s been growing. If I had space in that tank I would definitely try some more.


In general? There are my two terrariums that are just for orchids, about two dozen minis (mostly mini Catts and a few Paphs) under lights, and the majority of my collection is split up between my balcony and the shade house in the courtyard. The ones in the terrariums have been ridiculously easy to take care of once I got everything settled. The ones under lights are in those heavy fridge or desk drawer organizers with drainage holes melted in them and a layer of leca. I just move the trays to the sink to water with a little watering can without having to move all of the individual plants. And the ones outside just get sprayed with a hose, which doesn’t take long, or rained on. And we often get daily rain in the summer so while rot is an issue, figuring out how to keep everything hydrated in the heat is not