Houseplants
Growing the Vanilla Orchid
By
Oct 12, 2005 - 4:42:00 PM

The Vanilla orchid, (Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews, Vanilla fragrans, Vanilla vanilla) is the source of natural vanilla flavoring. It is native to Mexico and the Caribbean and is now cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. Madagascar is now the largest producer of vanilla in the world.

Check out this great ebook with recipes using vanilla and other unique plants.

See Aztec Gardens for more information about food crops in Mesoamerica.

In the U.S. vanilla can be grown in USDA zones 10a, 10b, and 11 (Sunset zones 23-24), areas closest to the equator.

In general, vanilla is an easy orchid to grow, but very difficult to get to produce pods. It is actually considered one of the most labor intensive spices in the world.

It’s good to let vanilla dry out slightly between waterings. The flowers will bloom only when the orchids are very large and will only last about two or three days.

If you want your vanilla to produce a pod, you’ll need to pollinate it by hand once they bloom or it will die off very quickly. Moreover, you won’t get flowers for at almost two years, and sometimes three!

The vanilla orchid likes partial shade and plenty of water. Maintain temperatures about 55 degrees or your orchid may suffer from shock. See this site from the University of Florida for more orchid growing tips.

Kent Swanson is a freelance writer specializing in gardening, the environment, and travel. Check out these sites for more of his writing:

Aztec Gardens
Festival of Mexico
Flor Canto

© Copyright 2005 by GardenPlantCare.com