Vanilla — 9 species
Botanical species in the genus Vanilla recorded in the PlantPeers database.
Vanilla inodora
Vanilla inodora
Family: Orchidaceae
Cultivation
The flowers usually need to be hand pollinated, especially when the plant is growing outside its native range, if the fruit is to be produced.
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Vanilla phaeantha
Vanilla phaeantha
Family: Orchidaceae
Cultivation
The flowers usually need to be hand pollinated, especially when the plant is growing outside its native range, if the fruit is to be produced.
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Vanilla planifolia
Vanilla planifolia
Family: Orchidaceae
Cultivation
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. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are in the range 21 - 30°c, but can tolerate 10 - 33°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall of 2,000 - 2,500mm, tolerating 1,500 - 3,000mm.
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Vanilla pompona
Vanilla pompona
Family: Orchidaceae
Cultivation
Although the pods are of inferior quality to the true vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), the plant does also have some advantages inasmuch as its pods do not have a tendency to wilt; it is easily cured; and the vines are said to flower and fruit three or four times during the year. The flowers, which individually only live for a day, usually need to be hand pollinated, especially when the plant is growing outside its native range, if the fruit is to be produced. It takes 6 months from flowering until the seedpods are ready to harvest.
Full cultivation guide →