![]() ![]() Given the plant’s potential height, it’s probably a good thing that it doesn’t thrive as a houseplant. Running a humidifier or grouping plants together on pebble trays partially filled with water will add some much-needed moisture to the air. Keep the plant in a warm, brightly lit area, but away from hot drafts from the furnace. The temperature, light and, especially, low humidity are not well suited for a vanilla crop. One can grow vanilla as a houseplant, but it rarely flowers or fruits in the typical home environment. ![]() In 2015, a host of big food brands, led by Nestlé, vowed to use only natural flavors in products marketed in the U.S.just as a shortage of natural vanilla was emerging. In fact, the vanilla orchid is often grown on the trunks of shade trees for support of the vines. Vanilla is perhaps the world’s most popular flavor, but less than 1 of it comes from a fully natural source, the vanilla orchid. Most commercial production of vanilla takes place in the tropical regions of Mexico and Madagascar where the climate is warm and humid, the soil is rich with organic matter and the vanilla plant is shaded from intense sun by other tropical plants. The plants are grown from seed, and they prefer high humidity and grow. Vanilla flavor is then further developed by curing and fermenting the pods. Vanilla bean plants are perennial climbing vine that grow to a height of 10 feet or more. The pods grow to about 6-9 inches long and are harvested when fully grown but not yet ripe, about 8-9 months after flowering. The vine produces greenish-yellow flowers that must be hand-pollinated outside of its native habitat to ensure good fruit set. Vanilla planifolia is a vigorous, vining orchid that can reach up to 300 feet in its native tropical American environment. Although much of the vanilla used for flavoring and fragrance today is produced synthetically, natural vanilla comes from the seed pod of an orchid plant. ![]()
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