Did you know that... Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), a member of the orchid family, is an epiphytic vine with greenish-yellow flowers. It is also known by the Nahuatl names ixtlilxochitl or tlilxóchitl (black flower), and the Totonac names xanat or shanat, caxixanath, and su chel. It was given the name "vanilla" by the Spanish because its fruits, which are between 15 and 30 cm long, resemble sword sheaths. Its flowers are visited by small orchid bees (Euglossini) between February and May. The seeds of the fragrant fruits are believed to be dispersed by bats.
Its original distribution is unknown, but it is a warm, humid orchid found in the Sierra Madre of Oaxaca, the Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas, and southern Quintana Roo. Its center of origin is in Mexico.