Species Orchid, West Indian Vanilla, Striking Vanilla

Vanilla orchids are vines, they get very long and heavy. They are epiphytes and do not need to be planted in soil, but they need to be p...Read Morelanted near a tree or other structure for support. And they need to have the right climate, they grow very well in Hawaii.

They flower in May, and each flower is only fully open for one day. They must be hand pollinated when they are fully open during the warm part of the day. Pollination is easy, just lift the "cap" of the female part of the flower in the throat, and press the male pollen sack on the top tip of the flower into it and hold it for a few seconds.

If the pollination is succesful, the flower will not fall off but will continue to swell and form a "bean" which will ripen about Sept. or Oct.

The vines need to be kept watered and fertilized, they require some direct sun each day. They are easy to grow and do not require a lot of attention and seem to be mostly pest free.

Cure the ripe beans by burying them in sugar until they turn brown and lose their moisture. The sugar is flavored by the bean's moisture while curing and has a vanilla flavor.