With the species' population in decline and its habitats being converted to other purposes, the IUCN has assessed Vanilla planifolia as Endangered.

[5] The flowers require pollination to set fruit, but open in the morning and usually fade in rising temperatures of the same afternoon.

[8] In the native lowland forest habitat flowering takes place in April and May towards the end of the dry season.

[1] The plants are self-fertile, and pollination simply requires a transfer of the pollen from the anther to the stigma, but have a structure to prevent this from happening without intervention.

[8] The first scientific description of Vanilla planifolia was published by Henry Charles Andrews in the eighth volume of his The Botanist's Repository.

[13] Vanilla planifolia is a native of the neotropical realm, from southern Mexico through Central America, Colombia, and the northern portions of Brazil.

[1] Due to human land uses for crops and timber the required habitat for Vanilla planifolia has become very reduced and fragmented.

[20] Male orchid bees in the tribe Euglossini in the genera Euglossa and Eulaema exhibit fragrance collecting behavior with the fruits.

Conversely female stingless bees remove the pulp of fruit in a behavior consistent with nest building activities.

[20] Seeds being distributed by bees is a rare behavior and has only been documented in three species of tropical trees previously, the cadaghi Corymbia torelliana, Coussapoa asperifolia subsp.

The specific species observed eating the pods include Tome's spiny rat (Proechimys semispinosus) and the common opossum (Didelphis marsupialis).

Further experiments by the team led by Dr Adam Karremans showed that seeds were viable after being passed through the gut, but it did not increase or decrease germination significantly.

The enzyme β-glucosidase is crucial in the release of vanillin during the curing process, which is essential for producing high-quality vanilla flavor.

[22] The sap of most species of Vanilla orchid which exudes from cut stems or where pods are harvested can cause moderate to severe dermatitis if it comes in contact with bare skin, though it is water-soluble and can be removed by washing.

It is likely that almost all the vanilla grown in the areas surrounding the Indian Ocean are descended from this one introduction and this is supported by modern genetic research.

Curing involves fermentation and drying of the pod to develop the characteristic vanilla flavor while minimizing the loss of essential oils.