Vanilla Growing in South Florida

Xingbo Wu, Pamela Moon, Alan Chambers, and Jonathan Crane

Release Date: 2/25/2024

DOI: 10.32473/edis-hs1348-2024

Agriculture

Abstract

Vanilla extract is popular around the world as an ingredient in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The botanical source of vanilla extract is primarily the cured beans of Vanilla planifolia. The United States is the world's largest importer of vanilla beans, but domestic production is minimal. Southern Florida has a favorable growing environment for vanilla cultivation. Though currently there is no commercial production of vanilla in southern Florida, it has the potential to be a highly profitable crop in the future. This publication aims to provide basic information to growers interested in establishing a vanillery.

About this Publication

This document is HS1348, one of a series of the Department of Environmental Horticulture and the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date November 2019. Revised January 2023 and February 2024. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

About the Authors

Xingbo Wu, assistant professor, Department of Environmental Horticulture; Pamela Moon, biological scientist III; Alan Chambers, former assistant professor; and Jonathan Crane, professor and associate center director, Horticultural Sciences Department; UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL 33031.

How to Cite

Wu, X., Moon, P., Chambers, A., & Crane, J. (2024). Vanilla Growing in South Florida. EDIS, 2024(1). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-hs1348-2024

Authors

Alan Chambers

former assistant professor, genetics and breeding of tropical fruits, Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead FL

Xingbo Wu

Contact

Specialist

University of Florida

assistant professor, ornamental breeding, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

View Xingbo Wu's Profile

Pamela Moon

staff

University of Florida

biological scientist III, M.S., tissue culture/biotechnology program, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

View Pamela Moon's Profile

Jonathan Crane

Specialist

University of Florida

professor emeritus, tropical fruit crop specialist, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

View Jonathan Crane's Profile

Also available in

Spanish

Publication #HS1348