Originally posted by jersey 
^^^^
That is very pretty one. I use a lot of vanilla for my tinctures but never saw a flower, never thought it has one
Thank you. Indeed, vanilla is an orchid. There are a dozen or so species, this is the one used for commercial vanilla production. The flowers open very early in the morning and close, finished, by midafternoon of the same day. To produce the fruit -- seed capsule, "bean" -- they have to be pollinated early in the morning. The fruit takes 6-12 months to ripen and mature, and then the producer has another 6-12 months to ferment and dry it before market. The flavoring/fragrance comes from the dried, fermented fruit, called a "bean". Largest commercial vanilla production is in 3 places: Mexico, Madagascar, Tahiti. We have two native vanilla species in south Florida (
V. aphylla and
V. dilloniana) but neither is used for commercial vanilla production. This is one of several vanilla plants in my former employer's garden; the plant is a very large vine
Post #3001 by smf
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