You know how it happens. You’re watching one of your favorite plant-tubers, they’re talking about plants. They hold up a plant, and before you even realize it, the words “I need to find one of those” comes out of your mouth. And so it happened awhile back as I was watching Fern, @wildfern, on YouTube.
She held up her variegated Vanilla planifolia (Vanilla Orchid), and I heard someone say those words. Since I was alone, I was that someone. And the search was on. It took several weeks, but eventually I found a small one; no matter, he’ll grow. I wasn’t disappointed, the foliage is just as beautiful in person.
He’s the orchid that most vanilla comes from, native to Mexico and Belize, so he’s probably gonna like it barky, warm, a bit humid, and really good light. I can do most of that. I grow other orchids without issue, so I’m feeling somewhat confident about this one. It seems they really want something to, the phrase I read was “ramble over”, so I made him a trellis. I’ll probably never see him bloom, I’m not young and it can take decades for blooms, but I knew that going in. Besides, it was always about the foliage. So here we go.
I know I’m not the only one watching plant-tubers with pen and paper at the ready, and not the only one who has said “well there’s another one on the wish list”. But thanks, Fern, I think.
I’ll keep you posted.
