Vanilla planifolia - Jacks. ex Andrews
Common Name Vanilla
Family Orchidaceae
USDA hardiness 10-12
Known Hazards Calcium oxalate crystals are present in the plant, which may cause dermatitis in vanilla workers[310 ].(Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction )
Habitats An epiphytic plant, it grows wild in trees, producing aerial roots that penetrate fissures and cracks in the bark[296 ]. Usually found climbing on trees in warm, wet tropical low land forests at elevations from sea-level to 600 metres[418 ].
Range S. America - Bolivia, Colombia; Central America - Costa Rica to Mexico; naturalized in many other ar
Edibility Rating
Other Uses
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating
Care
Summary
Native to Mexico and Central America, Vanilla planifolia or also known as Vanilla is a climbing vine about 10-15 m long. It has aerial roots which support the plant by clinging into trees. The flowers are greenish-yellow, large, waxy and last only a day. The fruits are long pods containing small black seeds. The leaves are long, pointed, and fleshy. Medicinally, vanilla is used in the treatment of fevers, spasms, and caries. Vanilla extracts are used in pharmaceutical preparations. The seed pods are cooked as used as food flavoring. It is also used in perfumes and soaps. Plant is grown from herbaceous stem cuttings or seeds. The flowers need to be hand pollinated in the early morning.
http://www.botanicimage.com
http://www.botanicimage.com
Physical Characteristics
Vanilla planifolia is an evergreen Perennial Climber growing to 15 m (49ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a medium rate.
Synonyms
Epidendrum rubrum Lam. Myrobroma fragrans Salisb. Notylia planifolia (Jacks. ex Andrews) Conz. Notyl
Habitats
Edible Uses
Seedpod - cooked. Used as a flavouring in a wide range of foods such as ice creams, confectionery, baked goods, puddings etc[301 ]. The seedpods contain about 3.5% vanillin[238 ]. The pod can be placed in sugar and left for the flavour to diffuse into the sugar. This sugar is then used as a sweet flavouring in various dishes, especially cakes and desserts[238 ]. The fruit is a dark-brown, 3-angled capsule 15 - 28cm long containing many small seeds[418 ].
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Other Uses
Other Uses The seedpod is used in perfumes and soaps[238 , 418 ].
Cultivation details
The plant thrives in hot moist insular climates with frequent, but not excessive rain and requires two drier months to check vegetative growth and bring the vines into flower[418 ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are in the range 21 - 30?c, but can tolerate 10 - 33?c[418 ]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 2,000 - 2,500mm, tolerating 1,500 - 3,000mm[418 ]. An epiphytic plant, growing in pockets of humus on tree branches[238 ]. It requires a position in semi-shade, well-protected from winds[296 ]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 - 8[418 ]. Plants produced from short cuttings, around 30cm in length, will take 3 - 5 years before they flower and start to produce fruit. If longer cuttings, around 90 - 100cm in length, are used, then fruiting can commence after only 1 - 2 years[418 ]. Under favourable conditions a plant may grow 60 - 120cm per month[310 ]. The plant has an economic life of about 10 - 15 years before yields drop and it needs replacing[418 ]. The flowers usually need to be hand pollinated, especially when being cultivated outside the plants natural range. The fruits mature in 180 - 270 days from flowering[418 ]. They are harvested when still green and lacking their distinctive aroma, and are then put through a lengthy curing process during which time they turn brown and develop their aroma[418 ]. Yields are very variable - a good vanillery may yield about 2.5 - 4 t/ha per year of fresh fruit, which gives 500 - 800 kg/ha of cured beans[418 ]. The flowers are pollinated by a specific species of moth in the night time. In areas where the moth is absent, hand pollination is necessary[296 ]. Flowering Time: Mid Spring Late Spring/Early Summer. Bloom Color: Chartreuse (Yellow-Green). Spacing: 4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m).
Propagation
Seed - surface sow, preferably as soon as it is ripe, and do not allow the compost to dry out. The seed of this species is extremely simple, it has a minute embryo surrounded by a single layer of protective cells. It contains very little food reserves and depends upon a symbiotic relationship with a species of fungus. The fungal hyphae invade the seed and enter the cells of the embryo. The orchid soon begins to digest the fungal tissue and this acts as a food supply for the plant until it is able to obtain nutrients from decaying material in the soil[200 ]. It is best to use some of the soil that is growing around established plants in order to introduce the fungus, or to sow the seed around a plant of the same species and allow the seedlings to grow on until they are large enough to move. Cuttings, 90 - 120cm long, with at least three leaf nodes. Sit them in loose, friable soil, but do not bury deeply or they will rot[296 ]. New shoots develop after 30 - 40 days[310 ]. Cuttings 1.5 - 2 metres long can be taken at any time of the year, but are best towards the end of the dry season[238 ]. The cuttings are kept loosely coiled in a dry, shady place for 2 - 3 weeks before insertion in open compost[238 ]. New shoots develop after 30 - 40 days[310 ].
Books by Plants For A Future
Other Names
Species Orchid, Vanilla Orchid, Commercial Vanilla, Flat Plane Leafed Vanilla, Vainella, Vaniglia, banira, baunilha, bourbon vanilla, flat-leaved vanilla, madagascar vanilla, mexican vanilla, tahitian vanilla, vainilla, vaniglia, vanilj, vanilla, vanilla orchid, vanillae fructus, vanilla|vanila, vanille, vanille echte, vaniller aromatique, vanillier, west indian vanilla.
Found In
Africa, Asia, Australia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, China, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Guatemala, Guyana, Hawaii, Honduras*, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico*, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Reunion, SE Asia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, West Africa, West Indies,
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
You can download this page as a PDF
Due to a fault in the PDF printer we are trying a few different options. Please try the one below
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
QR Code
What's this?
This is a QR code (short for Quick Response) which gives fast-track access to our website pages. QR Codes are barcodes that can be read by mobile phone (smartphone) cameras. This QR Code is unique to this page. All plant pages have their own unique code. For more information about QR Codes click here.
1. Copy and print the QR code to a plant label, poster, book, website, magazines, newspaper etc and even t-shirts.
2. Smartphone users scan the QR Code which automatically takes them to the webpage the QR Code came from.
3. Smartphone users quickly have information on a plant directly for the pfaf.org website on their phone.
Add a comment/link
If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at admin@pfaf.org . If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves. here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.
Subject : Vanilla planifolia
