5 fascinating orchids that look like animals
Flowers bloom in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but there are some which look like animals! To add the cherry on top, there's a specific group of flowers that manifest such marvels of nature: orchids. Orchids are quite genius in metamorphosing themselves so that they can attract pollinators and scare predators away. Here's a list of orchids that have striking resemblances to some animals.
Grammatophyllum speciosum looks like a tiger
Tiger orchids are one of the largest orchid flowers in the world. A full-grown tiger orchid can have a diameter of around 10 centimeters. The golden yellow stripes on their petals resemble that of tigers. Native to Central America and Southeast Asia, these orchids are believed to scare away their predators owing to their resemblance to a tiger's face.
Ophrys reinholdii looks like a goat
Native to southwest Balkans, Turkey, and Iran, this orchid produces beautiful flowers that look like goats. Their downward-facing petals resemble a goat's head while the two curved upward-protruding sepals almost look like a goat's horns, thereby inspiring its nickname, goat orchid. These are tuberous geophytes that bloom in the spring and need cool temperatures at low elevations to thrive.
Diuris drummondii looks like a donkey
Native to Western Australia, Diuris drummondii bears large flowers with their petals placed widely. The flowers are pale yellow in color with brown tinges on them. Their dorsal sepal is erect, and lateral sepals are wide and turned downward. And the petals are held ear-like above the rest of the flower, making it appear like a donkey's face. They bloom between November and January.
Dracula simia looks like a monkey
Dracula simia has a striking resemblance to a monkey's face, and it is incredibly fascinating to just look at this marvelous species of flower. These flowers have three equidistant petals and at the center of their junction rests a monkey's face lookalike pattern. These orchids are native to the tropical highland forests of Ecuador. These typically bloom between spring and summer.
Prosthechea cochleata looks like a squid
Prosthechea cochleata is a medium-sized epiphytic orchid species with ribbon-like flowers that resemble small squids. They can be found in the lowlands of Central America, the Caribbean Basin, and the Florida Everglades. The good news is that the flowers bloom all around the year, while the bad news is that they have been listed as endangered in the state of Florida, USA.
