Dracula amaliae (day1093) is not the only dracula gracing Cool Americas this week as we also have the massed flowers of Dracula deltoidea.

Draculas are spectacular relatives of Masdevallia and a genus with many species produce a fantastic show of flowers. Dracula deltoidea that is flowering this week has smaller flowers than most of our other dracula species  but makes up for this in the number of flowers a plant produces. As you can see the flowers are produced downwards around and through the basket so that the best possible view is from directly underneath (below).

The species is native to Ecuador and is found at elevations of 2600-3000metres so we keep it in Cool America. Like many druculas the leaves of this species get damaged if it gets too hot and you can see black marks on some of the leaves from the hot spell in May and June 2018. We try to grow it very cool, wet and shady hanging below other orchid baskets which increases both the shade and water the plant receives. Do check out our growing tips in more detail for all of our plants in our orchid culture tab, or for draculas, growing cool orchids from the Americas for more help on the culture of these fantastic plants.