Coconut orchid
Maxillaria tenuifolia
Also called Maxillaria and Coconut pie orchid
Houseplant · OrchidsIT SMELLS EXACTLY OF COCONUT and the flowers hide at soil level under the grass, so people smell it for a week before they find it. Look DOWN into the pot, not up.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 6 daysSilver roots, then soak — read the roots — silver means thirsty, green means leave it alone.
- Light
- Bright indirect
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Indoors, or out in high summer RHS H1B, to 10°C
- Size
- 0.4 m tall · 0.5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Mexico and Central America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.