Like many orchids, the Vanilla Planifolia (the vanilla bean orchid) is an epiphyte that lives on a host tree. It's a vine that grows rapidly up and around an existing tree, but does not draw on the tree's nutrients. The vanilla orchid can be up to 3 years old before it begins to grow vanilla bean pods.

How does vanilla beans grow?

The vanilla orchid is a vine-like plant that grows up trees. The vine can grow up to 30 feet long. The most widely used orchid to produce vanilla is the Vanilla planifolia. ... While these pods can be very expensive, scraping them yields a potent vanilla flavor and the black specs that will color whatever you're baking.

Can vanilla be grown in the US?

So vanilla can be grown in Puerto Rico, South Florida, and Hawaii. Vanilla can also be grown in greenhouses, but it's tricky to get the vines to flower and fruit. It's definitely a tropical orchid and it doesn't do well in temperatures below 50 degrees.