Vanilla may also be grown on a trellis or support post. If a support tree is being used, it is preferable to use a type with a high number of lower branches. Cuttings should be planted at least 2 m (6.6 ft) apart. A cutting of 1.5 m (5 ft) should be taken and planted at the base of the support tree after removing the lower leaves. Cuttings are best taken during the dry season when growth of the vines is slower. Vanilla is usually propagated vegetatively from stem cuttings from a mother plant which has not been allowed to flower. Vanilla grows naturally in forests, often in clearings and alongside rivers and lakes where the forest canopy is thinner. It is usually planted alongside a companion tree, known as a tutor tree which has the added benefit of providing it with shade. Vanilla is a climbing plant and should always be provided with a support to grow on. Vanilla requires a soil rich in calcium and potassium and will grow best in a soil which is light and well-draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Specific epithet means with flat leaves.Vanilla is a tropical plant and will grow best in warm, humid climates at temperatures between 21 and 32☌ (33.8–89.6☏). Genus name comes from the Spanish name vainilla meaning a small pod with reference to the shape of the fruit. Vines have (a) fleshy stems, (b) succulent flat-bladed, leaves (to 5' long), (c) aerial roots from the nodes opposite the leaves, and (d) yellow green flowers bloom from axillary clusters containing 12-20 buds. Pods are picked when beans are fully formed and firm. At present, 75% of vanilla beans are grown in Madagascar, Comores and the Reunion Islands with the rest primarily coming from Indonesia, Tonga, Tahiti and Mexico. On the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar in 1841, Edmont Albius first discovered a reliable method for hand pollination, thus finally opening the door for global cultivation of this orchid. Unfortunately, this bee does not survive outside of Mexico, hence plant flowers growing outside of Mexico must be pollinated by hand. Finally it was first discovered in 1836 that a tiny bee (the Melipone) which lives in Mexico was the sole pollinator of this plant. Over the next 300 years, no one outside of Mexico was able to get this orchid to fruit. It was known to the Aztecs for its flavoring qualities (vanilla seed pods), but was unknown to the rest of the world until 1520 when Cortez brought plants from Mexico to Spain. Natural vanilla flavor comes from the cured seed pods of this orchid. In its native habitat, it may grow to as much as 50-75' tall over time, but as an indoor plant it grows much shorter. Vanilla planifolia, commonly called vanilla, is a terrestrial or epiphytic orchid vine that is native to Mexico. Vanilla is very expensive to purchase (reportedly it is the most expensive spice after saffron). Vanilla is the only orchid that produces an edible fruit. Curing is time consuming and lengthy: (a) scald bean pod in water for about one minutes to stop the ripening process, (b) sweat/heat for about 7 days by heating/drying pods in sun for several hours in the daytime and then wrapping the pods in wool cloth and storing them in boxes to sweat overnight, and (c) air-dry in hot sun for 3 months. Once mature, the bean pod is cut off the plant and cured. When pollination is successful, a skinny fruit pod will appear over the next 2 months, with each fruit pod remaining on the vine for 6-9 months before maturation. Hand-pollination requires some skill (rostellum must be lifted so that the anther can be pressed onto the stigma).

During flowering season, hand-pollination must occur daily since each flower lasts only one day. Outside of its native territory of Mexico where flowers are pollinated by a tiny bee (a Melipone), plant flowers must be hand-pollinated in order to produce fruit. Once flowering occurs, a flower must be pollinated in order for fruit to develop. Plants may not produce flowers until reaching a mature size. Light but regular fertilization is recommended. This vine needs a good support structure on which to grow. Requires organically rich, fertile, consistently moist (but not soggy) soil with regular watering. Best location is in bright shade with tolerance for some early morning sun.

Best growing temperatures are in the area of 80-85☏ in daytime and 60-65☏ at night. This orchid is a tropical plant which requires a warm humid climate.

Vanilla tree