Vanilla planifolia

Native to Mexico and Central America, Vanilla has been among the world's most important plants - among spices, it is second only to saffron in value. Vanilla's one-of-a-kind culinary qualities owe to the complexity of the numerous chemical compounds inherent in it. The planifolia species is the most commonly used Vanilla in flavoring.

Vanilla are an orchid vine. They can grow for indefinite lengths (some specimen reaching several hundred feet) and many will control their growth using a trellis or any kind of wooden structure. The roots will grab onto and curl around anything they touch, especially if you have good humidity . They are intermediate to hot-growing, and develop rapidly in a peat, or sphagnum moss-based mix. Allow the medium to just approach dryness, but don't allow it to dry out completely. Provide high light, and fertilize as you would any other orchid.

It is difficult to say when they will flower, but on average this species needs to be well over 10 feet in length to bloom. You can run the growths up and down a 6 foot trellis for best control without taking up too much space.

The flowers last one day, but can blossom more than once from the same inflorescence. You can hand pollinate the flowers and after a few months have a seed pod which can be cured. Once cured, they can be placed in alcohol for 6 to 12 months to create the extract. The photo is of a mature plant with several cuttings is a 6" pot. We sell single rooted cuttings that vary in length.