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Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)
Photo: Everglades National Park, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 3 countries orchid

Vanilla

Vanilla planifolia

Family: Orchidaceae

On our map this plant appears in 3 countries and ranks highest in: Comoros, Madagascar, Mexico.

Vanilla is a climbing orchid with fleshy green stems that use aerial roots to climb trees to well over ten metres. Its pale greenish-yellow flowers open for only a few hours, and in cultivation they are pollinated by hand. The flowers develop into long green capsules known as pods, which are scalded, “sweated” and dried over several months until they turn dark and develop the aroma of vanillin. Because cultivation is so labour-intensive, it is one of the most expensive spices in the world.

Description from: Mexico.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Comoros no. 2 of 5 cultivated

    Together with Madagascar and Réunion, the Comoros belong to the region that produces prized Bourbon vanilla, and for decades they were one of the world’s leading exporters.

  2. Madagascar no. 3 of 10 cultivated

    Madagascar supplies about 80% of the world’s natural vanilla, and “Bourbon vanilla” from the SAVA region is considered the finest in the world.

  3. Mexico no. 10 of 15 native

    Mexico is the homeland of vanilla – the Totonacs around Papantla have grown it for centuries, and the Aztecs called it “tlilxóchitl”, the “black flower”.