The genus Vanilla consists of those orchids which have the growth habit of a climbing vine. Five species have been recorded to occur in Florida. Vanilla phaentha is our most common vanilla and can be found from the Fahkahatchee Swamp to our southernmost hammocks. However, the flowers are short-lived, opening in the early morning only to close by noon. V. planifolia is the commercial vanilla cultivated throughout the tropics. It may have been introduced here by the Indians in pre-Columbian times. The flowers are small for the genus and fertilization is infrequent, so production of seed pods requires pollination by hand. V. inodora has long-lasting flowers (2-3 days!) but it is quite rare. It seems to take poorly to being transplanted and many collected specimens died. V. dilloniana is a leafless vine and only one specimen has ever been recorded. It was collected in Brickell Hammock in 1928 and was distinguished from the common V. barbellata by having longer and very slender green sepals and petals, giving the flower a spindly appearance. V. barbellata is also leafless and has a very attractive flower with lime-green petals and sepals, sporting white and magenta labellum. As with most vanillas, the flowers are short-lived, opening at night only to close by late morning.