The fermented pod of this climbing orchid is harvested for vanilin, an aromatic sweet scent used to flavour cakes, and perfumes. Although native to Mexico, Madagascar is the worlds largest producer of vanilla. Plants flower in spring and to get pods from the plant the flowers will need to be hand pollinated within twelve hours of opening. A small splinter of wood or a grass stem is used to lift the rostellum or moved the flap upward so that the overhanging anther can be pressed against the stigma and self pollinate the vine. The only insect capable of pollinating the blossom is the Melipona, a bee, native only to Mexico. The pods take nine month to develop, immature dark green pods are not harvested. To ensure the finest flavor from every bean, each individual pod must be picked by hand just as it begins to split on the end. Several methods exist in the market for curing vanilla; nevertheless all of them consist of four basic steps: killing, sweating, slow-drying, and conditioning of the beans.
125mm | $19.75 AU | In Production |
| Height | Frost tol. | Pollination req'd | Evergreen/Deciduous | Harvest period |
| 1-5 | Low | Evergreen |
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