A Chester Zoo collection of Dracula orchids has been declared nationally important, drawing attention to rare flowers with bizarre, vampire-like appearances that are increasingly threatened in the wild.

• Dracula orchids (Images- Canva)When we hear about Dracula, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the famous vampire, with long, sharp teeth, a blood-filled mouth and a desire to kill.
• A soft flower would probably be the last thing to come to mind, but nature has its own version of Dracula, and these are not creatures hiding deep inside dark forests, but rather some strange-looking flowers found in the cloud forests of South America.
• With faces that resemble monkeys, dragons and, if your mind is a little more creative, goblins from horror movies, Dracula orchids have recently attracted