Without them, our culinary world would be without a valuable treasure. The coveted vanilla pods only thrive when the flowers of a vanilla orchid unfold. Now there is a chance of pollination for a few hours so that the longed-for capsule fruits thrive. Follow us here on a journey from the vanilla blossom to the aromatic pod.
When and how long does the vanilla orchid bloom?
The vanilla flower appears after 3 to 4 years on a vanilla orchid grown from cuttings. Typically in summer, the green-yellow to creamy yellow flowers open for a few hours in the morning to be pollinated and then form capsule fruits.
Flowering time is in summer
A vanilla orchid grown from cuttings delights us with its blossoms for the first time after 3 to 4 years. The green-yellow to cream-yellow flowers appear in small clusters on short stalks in the leaf axils. In contrast to the cocky epiphytic orchids, the vanilla flowers remain rather small. The most important data at a glance:
- Slightly curved, angular inflorescence axis is 5 to 8 cm long with 10 to 20 individual flowers
- Length of ovary and outer petals (sepals) is 4 to 7 cm
- Side petals and the lip reach a length of 4 to 5 cm
Over the course of the summer, a single bud opens within each cluster for a few hours in the morning. If pollination occurs during this time, a narrow capsule fruit up to 20 cm long is formed within the following 6 to 9 months. Inside are countless, tiny, black seeds surrounded by an oily liquid rich in vanillin.
Fertilization requires sensitivity
Since bee and hummingbird species are not available as natural pollinators in Central Europe, the gardener takes on this function. Since vanilla is a hermaphrodite flower, male pollen is in close proximity to the female pistil, separated only by a membrane. The trick is to use a pointed stick (€11.00 on Amazon) to transfer the pollen when the flower is just open.
Tip
The popular Bourbon vanilla comes from the spice vanilla (Vanilla planifolia). Regardless of its popularity, Mexican vanilla (Vanilla mexicana) from the Veracruz region is considered the de facto vanilla queen. Experts attest that this species has the best quality among vanilla orchids in the world.
