It was first described by the botanist John William Moore in 1933 from Raiatea in the Society Islands, where it was found growing on trees, having escaped from cultivation.

This hybridisation may have happened naturally or inadvertently in the period 1350-1500 in tropical America, though it is listed as an artificial hybrid in Plants of the World Online (POWO).

Hernán Cortés brought vanilla pods to Europe where they were grown in greenhouses, and cultivation was attempted in various tropical locations.

As compared to the more widely grown Vanilla planifolia, the pods are shorter and broader, and its taste and fragrance are also distinctive.

The curing and fermentation process lasts for about three months, during which time the pods lose much of their moisture and become supple and oily.