Vanilla planifolia Andrews

Roots usually 1 per node, aerial portions 2–3 mm diam. Stems occasionally branched, leafy, thick, 5–10 mm diam., smooth. Leaves persistent; blade flat, oblong-elliptic to ovate, longer than internodes, 15–25 × 5–8 cm, fleshy-leathery, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, 15-flowered racemes, short-pedunculate, to 5 cm excluding peduncle; floral bracts broadly triangular-ovate, 7–10 × 7–10 cm, leathery. Flowers: sepals and petals erect-spreading, yellow-green, fleshy, rigid; sepals oblanceolate, 3.5–5.5 × 1.1–1.3 cm, margins straight, apex acute to obtuse; petals elliptic-oblanceolate, abaxially keeled, thinner than sepals, 3.5–5.5 × 1.1–1.3 cm, apex acute to obtuse; lip adnate to column for 1.5–2 cm, yellow-green, becoming dark yellow toward apex, lamina gulletlike, cuneate, rhomboid, 4–5 × ± 3 cm, with apical retuse lobule; disc with central tuft of retrorse scales, several lines of short, fleshy hairs extending to apex; column white, slender, 3–3.5 cm, margins slightly sinuate, adaxially bearded; pollinia yellow; pedicellate ovary 3–5 cm. Berries cylindric, 15–25 × 0.8–1 cm.

A tropical plant. It needs a warm moist climate. The best temperature is between 21-32°C with an average around 27°C. It will grow up to at least 1,000 m altitude. It does best with an evenly distributed rainfall of 2,000-5,000 mm per year. Ideally it should have 2 drier months to allow the flowers to develop. Light shade is necessary. It needs a well drained location and lots of humus and organic matter to grow in. It suits hardiness zones 11-12.

The pods are used to flavour foods. The flavour is extracted in alcohol. They are used to flavour chocolate, ice cream, milk shakes, and sweet dishes.

Plants are grown from cuttings in a layer of rotting plant material and forest debris. It needs a pole to climb and should have light shade. When the vine extends along a branch it is pulled down to promote flowering. The flowers need to be hand pollinated in the early morning. It is most successful on a sunny morning following rain. Using a small match sized stick the pollen is removed by squeezing the flower then putting the pollen onto the sticky stigma. Flowering tends to be seasonal and occur once per year during the drier months. If fertile cross-pollinated seed is required, it is necessary to cross pollinate the plants. (In Mexico small bees in the genus Melapona naturally pollinate vanilla)